Boston’s turnaround has pushed Chad Tracy into the Manager of the Year conversation, but one prominent prediction says he still gets edged out.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic has Will Venable of the Chicago White Sox taking the award, with Tracy finishing second. Bowden’s pick leans heavily on what Venable has done in Chicago, writing, "Winner: Will Venable, Chicago White Sox. Runner-up: Chad Tracy, Boston Red Sox," and adding, "Venable has taken the White Sox from the worst record in the AL with 102 losses to first place in the AL Central."
That’s a hard case to argue against. What Venable has pulled off is the kind of jump that grabs attention across the league, especially after the White Sox looked so bleak entering the season.
Still, Tracy’s work in Boston has been every bit as eye-catching. After the Red Sox moved on from Alex Cora, his stint at the helm got off to a rough start.
Then the summer flipped everything. Boston caught fire with a big winning streak and suddenly went from buried to back in the race.
Bowden did make room for Tracy in his assessment, noting that "They both deserve the award."
And there’s a real argument for that. Since taking over for Cora, Tracy has guided Boston to a .594 winning percentage in 106 games. That’s the kind of number that should keep him squarely in the award mix.
The timing of Boston’s surge matters too. The Red Sox were 29-43 before ripping off a turnaround that has them at 73-60 from June 19 until August 27.
If they can finish strong and somehow win the AL East, it would only strengthen Tracy’s case. A September stumble from Chicago could also open the door.
Even if Tracy ends up without the trophy, simply being part of this discussion says plenty. In mid-June, the season looked like it was slipping away. Now the Red Sox are legitimate World Series contenders out of the American League, and Tracy is right in the middle of it.
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