Manager of the Year, Runner-Up
We all love and believe in Steven Vogt, who will be voted AL Manager of the Year.
And we know that every game counts and there are 162 of them.
But ... after 84 games this year (just about half a season...) the A's were 29-54 and the Indians were 53-31. Since that time, the A's have gone 32-24 (.571 baseball) and the Indians have gone 27-28 (.491 baseball.)
Over almost half a season, the only AL team with a better record than the A's is the Astros. The Astros are of course loaded with verified stars. Their 2024 team payroll is $255 million. The A's payroll is $62 million, or 76% less.
It's all very, very sad.
But Kotsay deserves to be ranked near the top of every ballot.