Ranking the top 15 managers heading into the 2024 MLB season

MLB managers are in the spotlight during the season, as fans and analysts constantly dissect their pitching calls and lineup decisions. Certain MLB teams prefer more experienced managers in the dugout, while other front offices have opted for a fresh approach in recent years. We’ll rank the top 15 MLB managers ahead of the 2024 season. All statistics are sourced from Baseball Reference.

Martinez got off to a hot start to his managerial career, as he helped lead the Nationals to a World Series title in 2019. Since that point, Washington has lived in the basement of the National League East. Having had his roster stripped of its veterans, Martinez will need to prove that he’s the right man for young player development in 2024.

The Mariners have found themselves all over the map in the American League West standings under Servais, but have won at least 88 games in three straight seasons. The Athletic profiled Servais’ approach, which was classified as steady. He’s proven to be a solid leader, but will need to find a way to help his team get over the hump in a difficult division.

Baltimore’s patience with Hyde has paid off, as the manager led them to a 101 win season in 2023 and an American League East division title. He’s the defending American League manager of the year, and the Baltimore Banner highlighted how Hyde adroitly navigated the darker days with the team to get them back into contention.

There may be no more demanding coaching job in sports than being manager of the Yankees. It’s a post Boone has held since 2018, and he’s led the Yankees to playoff appearances in five out of his six seasons. Despite that relatively strong record, World Series titles are what matter to New York, and his lack of hardware has Sports Illustrated questioning whether his job is safe.

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Hinch’s resume is a tough one to rank. He had a lot of success presiding over the Houston Astros in the latter part of the 2010s, but he has been much maligned for his involvement in the cheating scandal. He’s heading into his fourth season as Detroit’s skipper, and the Tigers have largely been mediocre. MLB’s website thinks Hinch may be on the hot seat in 2024.

Pretty quietly, Counsell has turned into one of the better managers in the sport. He led the Brewers to the playoffs in five of the last six years, but left his post there to become manager of the Cubs. The former major league infielder is excited to work in the high profile role, and said in a Bleacher Report piece that he thinks the Cubs have momentum on their side in 2024.

Washington is held in extremely high regard across baseball, as his presence was deemed “irreplaceable” by The Athletic when he left the Atlanta Braves’ third base coaching position to manage the Angels in the offseason. Washington was the Rangers’ managers when they made two consecutive World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011.

Lovullo has been given a top of rope from Arizona, as his teams have only made the playoffs twice in his seven years at the helm. However, Lovullo did steer the Diamondbacks to a World Series appearance last fall, so he’s got recent history working in his favor. According to Forbes, Lovullo has been a student of the game, as he wrote book reports about baseball history as a boy.

Thomson has done a tremendous job since he was named manager in the middle of the 2022 season. While Philadelphia has not been able to capture a division title under Thomson, the manager always seems to have his team playing well down the stretch, when it matters most. Sports Illustrated wonders whether Thomson may actually be the best skipper in baseball.

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Despite his financially-inclined last name, the Rays’ manager is annually forced to work with a budget-conscious deck in a division of big spenders. Cash has made the most of it, as Tampa Bay has made the MLB postseason in five consecutive seasons. He’s actually the longest tenured manager in the game, as he enters his tenth campaign with the ballclub.

It’s been feast or famine for Cora as the skipper in Boston. The Red Sox won it all in 2018, Cora’s first season with the franchise. They’ve only made the playoffs one other time, and he was suspended for the 2020 season for his role in the Astros’ cheating scandal when Cora worked there in 2017. Sports Illustrated reported that other clubs would have strong interest if Cora were to ever leave Boston.

Although he’s never won a World Series, Melvin has been a top-tier manager for over two decades. He looks to continue his ascent up the all-time wins list for managers, as he enters the 2024 campaign 25^th in that category. With another strong season, Melvin could pass the great Tommy Lasorda in victories, which puts him in special company.

The Braves are about as well-oiled of a machine as there is in baseball, as they’ve won the National League East for six consecutive seasons under Snitker. Atlanta also won the 2021 World Series, and are hoping to bring more rings to the city as their talented core figures to be together for many years to come.

Roberts blamed himself for Los Angeles’ surprising early exit in the 2023 MLB playoffs, but also deserves credit for the ship he’s run with the Dodgers. They’ve been nothing short of dominant in the regular season, as Los Angeles has won 100 games or more in five of Roberts’ eight seasons, and have never won fewer than 91 games over a full season.

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Bochy is now a four-time World Series champion, as he added another ring to his collection in 2023 with the Rangers. Bochy sits 10^th all-time in career victories, and may have a chance to get to 6^th place with another great season in Texas. ESPN called out Bochy’s radical calm as a main reason why his teams perform so well when the pressure is at its highest.