In winning 84 games during the regular season, earning the franchise’s first playoff berth in five years and coming one win shy of playing for the American League pennant, the 2026 White Sox were a lot better than anyone expected.
That has a way of leading to hardware for leadership, and on cue, the White Sox’ second-year skipper Will Venable has been named a finalist for AL Manager of the Year. Chad Tracy of the Red Sox, who took over midseason for a club that rallied for wild card berth, and Kevin Cash, the longtime manager of the AL champion Rays, are the other two finalists.
In his first year on the job, Venable oversaw a 19-win improvement from a 2024 White Sox team that suffered through the losingest season in MLB history. In his second year, Venable seemingly one-upped himself by guiding his club to a 24-win increase and a playoff run that both surprised and electrified the league. Players raved about the unique level of team chemistry that flourished under Venable from the outset of spring training, and continued doing so through postgame media access of their Game 5 loss in the ALDS.
Addressing reporters after the season, Sox general manager Chris Getz said he expected Venable’s complete coaching staff to return in light of the team’s success, and has expressed interest in ensuring the skipper remains a long-term dugout fixture on the South Side.
“We’ve got a really special manager in Will Venable that recognizes the power of the clubhouse,” Getz said last month. “We had so many young players that came up to the big leagues and performed. It wasn’t perfect. It didn’t need to be perfect and because of that approach, thought process and patience, it kept the group motivated and hungry. Even through their struggles, they were still finding ways to win baseball games.”
Venable will potentially be the sixth White Sox manager to win the award in franchise history, and the first since Ozzie Guillen in the World Series-winning year of 2005. Jerry Manuel, Jeff Torborg, Tony La Russa and Chuck Tanner are the other past Sox winners.