Alex Cora is widely regarded as one of the best managers in baseball, and he has the votes to prove it.
The 2025 BBWAA Manager of the Year results were announced on Tuesday, and Cora finished fourth for the American League award. He received one first-place vote and two third-place votes after guiding the Boston Red Sox through a tumultuous, injury-plagued season to 89 wins and their first playoff appearance in four years.
Stephen Vogt won the award after his Cleveland Guardians shockingly won the AL Central over the Detroit Tigers, finishing the season on a tear and passing the Tigers down the stretch. Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider finished second, while Seattle Mariners skipper Dan Wilson placed third.
Meanwhile, Cora earned his best finish since 2018, when he was runner-up to Oakland A’s manager Bob Melvin despite leading the Red Sox to a franchise-record 108 wins in his first year on the job.
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This is Cora’s fourth time in seven seasons receiving votes for the award, although he’s surprisingly yet to win. He finished fifth in 2021 — when he led Boston back to the playoffs after a last-place finish the year before — and seventh in 2024.
Cora dealt with a lot this season, overcoming major adversity to help the Red Sox reach the postseason. Not only did they suffer numerous injuries to key players, but they also traded their best hitter, Rafael Devers, in the middle of the season.
Cora also got the most out of a young, inexperienced roster that featured several rookies in prominent roles — a group that’s in good hands heading into 2026.
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