Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash had every reason to think the 2026 American League Manager of the Year race would break his way. He guided the Rays to a 98-64 record, an AL East title and the league’s top postseason seed, yet he still came in second behind Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable.
The voting gap was real, but not overwhelming. Venable collected 15 first-place votes and 111 total points, while Cash finished with 12 first-place votes and 98 points.
That outcome is hard to ignore when you look at where Tampa Bay started. The Rays had gone 77-85 in 2025, and FanGraphs pegged them for a 79-83 finish with just a 4.3% chance of winning the division. Instead, Cash steered them to a 21-win jump and a division crown.
A big part of that turnaround came from the way he got production across the roster. Junior Caminero, Chandler Simpson and Victor Mesa Jr. all chipped in offensively, and the starting rotation grew into one of the team’s biggest strengths.
Cash also made a defining call in the bullpen. After years of mixing and matching in high-leverage spots, he settled on Bryan Baker as Tampa Bay’s primary closer. Baker responded with 41 saves and a 1.44 ERA, turning into one of the most effective relievers in the sport.
Venable’s case was strong too. The White Sox climbed from 60 wins in 2025 to 84-78, reached the postseason for the first time since 2021 and became the first team in Major League Baseball history to make the playoffs after back-to-back 100-loss seasons.
Still, Tampa Bay finished with 14 more wins than Chicago, and Cash ended up just 13 voting points shy of his third Manager of the Year award. He previously won in 2020 and 2021, becoming the first American League manager to take the honor in consecutive seasons.
Venable deserved his recognition. But with the Rays’ expectations, payroll and final record, there’s a strong argument that Cash should have been the one holding the trophy.
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