Bochy finishes 2nd to Hyde for AL Manager of Year honors
In his first year with the Rangers, Bruce Bochy came out of retirement and led the club to its first World Series championship in franchise history. The 68-year-old took Texas from 68 wins in 2022 to 90 wins in '23, leading one of the most dramatic turnarounds in baseball.
Bochy ultimately finished second in American League Manager of the Year Award voting to the Orioles’ Brandon Hyde, who led Baltimore to 101 wins in the regular season.
Bochy received just three of the 30 first-place votes, 12 second-place and 10 third-place, finishing with 61 total points. Hyde finished with 144 points to earn his first Manager of the Year Award as voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
Bochy, who won the NL Manager of the Year Award in 1996 with the Padres, had a chance to become the eighth skipper to win the award in both leagues.
Bochy’s leadership was vital for a team that endured injuries to five of its six All-Stars and had a bullpen that consistently struggled throughout the entire season, while blowing more saves than it converted.
But Bochy’s steady hand guided the Rangers to their first postseason berth since 2016, as his managerial experience and calm confidence percolated throughout the clubhouse.
“It was a perfect storm,” designated hitter Mitch Garver said after the World Series. “We needed [Bochy] at that time he came in, brought us all together. We have the tools, but he had the leadership. That's what it was.”
Rangers shortstop Corey Seager and second baseman Marcus Semien are finalists for the AL Most Valuable Player Award, alongside 2021 AL MVP Shohei Ohtani. The results for that award will be revealed Thursday (5 p.m. CT on MLB Network).
On Monday, Rangers third baseman Josh Jung learned he finished fourth in the BBWAA balloting for the AL Rookie of the Year Award.