The Baseball Writers’ Association of America made it official on Tuesday: Will Venable is the 2026 American League Manager of the Year.
For a White Sox team that spent the last three seasons buried under at least 100 losses each year, the award is another sign of how far the South Side has come. Venable earned 111 points to finish ahead of Tampa Bay’s Kevin Cash, who had 98, and Boston’s Chad Tracy, who finished with 47.
Chicago’s 84-78 finish sent the White Sox back to the postseason for the first time since 2021. That alone would have felt like a major shift for a fan base that had gotten used to searching for new ways to describe bad baseball. Instead, September brought meaningful games and a standings race that actually mattered.
The path wasn’t smooth. The White Sox spent 96 days in first place in the AL Central before the division got away from them, and the bullpen’s September issues made life plenty tense down the stretch. Still, those rough patches came with a different kind of frustration - the kind that shows a team had given people something to care about again.
Venable played a big part in that turnaround. A young roster settled in, players found their roles, and the South Side had reasons to keep showing up.
The BBWAA honor comes after Venable also picked up Sporting News AL Manager of the Year recognition on Oct. 22, an award voted on by fellow managers. This time, the writers joined in.
There’s still plenty left to sort out, and no trophy changes how nerve-wracking the next bullpen call might be. But after everything this fan base has endured, seeing Venable recognized for guiding a winning season lands exactly the way it should.
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Among the names drawing attention are shortstop Billy Carlson, right-hander Tanner McDougal and infielder William Bergolla Jr., all of whom could fit into trade discussions because of the teams depth and its need to improve in the big leagues. Carlson and McDougal in particular stand out as the kind of players other clubs would ask about, while Bergolla adds another layer to a group that gives Chicago options if it decides the right deal is worth moving on. [Read more 🡒]