Most bettors know where to find MLB props on player performance, but the Manager of the Year futures market is one of the most interesting and underexplored spots on the entire baseball betting board. The award is handed out in both leagues every fall, and the odds stay live from spring training all the way through the final week of the regular season. Prices shift dramatically as the standings develop, and the teams that exceed expectations drive the narrative. If you know what the voters reward and you can spot a team positioned to outperform its preseason projections, the Manager of the Year board is a genuinely winnable market.
When Do They Pick the Manager of the Year?
The Baseball Writers’ Association of America, known as the BBWAA, votes on the Manager of the Year award in both the American League and the National League. Two writers from every city in each league cast ballots before the postseason begins, ranking their top three managerial candidates. Points are awarded based on placement, and the manager with the highest total wins.
The winners are announced during the league’s annual awards week in November, after the World Series concludes. One award is given in each league, meaning there is an AL Manager of the Year and a separate NL Manager of the Year every season.
The timing of the vote is important for bettors. Because writers submit their ballots before the postseason, only regular season performance factors into the decision. A manager whose team makes a deep October run does not get credit for postseason results in this award. The regular season standings, the team’s performance relative to preseason expectations, and any notable in-season adjustments the manager made are what voters actually weigh.
Key voting fact: BBWAA voters consistently reward managers whose teams outperform preseason expectations, not simply the manager attached to the best record. A team projected for last place that wins the division will almost always generate a stronger Manager of the Year candidate than a preseason favorite who meets expectations.
Where to Find Manager of the Year Props
Manager of the Year futures are available at every major sportsbook that offers MLB markets. DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and Caesars all post odds for both the AL and NL award throughout the season. You will find them listed under MLB futures or MLB award props, typically alongside Cy Young, MVP, and Rookie of the Year odds. Because these are season-long futures, the prices you see today can look completely different by August depending on how the standings shake out. The same sharp habits that help you find value on daily MLB prop bets apply here: shop lines across multiple books before committing, and move before the market catches up to a team’s early performance.
Here is a look at the current 2026 Manager of the Year odds across both leagues as the season gets underway.
AL Manager of the Year Odds 2026
| Team | Manager | FanDuel | BetMGM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mariners | Dan Wilson | +650 | +550 |
| Rangers | Skip Schumaker | +800 | +750 |
| Orioles | Craig Albernaz | +700 | +750 |
| Royals | Matt Quatraro | +950 | +900 |
| Blue Jays | John Schneider | +900 | +1000 |
| Tigers | AJ Hinch | +950 | +1000 |
| Yankees | Aaron Boone | +1100 | +1100 |
| Astros | Joe Espada | +950 | +1200 |
| Red Sox | Alex Cora | +900 | +1300 |
| Twins | Derek Shelton | +1000 | +1400 |
| Athletics | Mark Kotsay | +1300 | +1400 |
| Guardians | Stephen Vogt | +1700 | +1800 |
| Angels | Kurt Suzuki | +1600 | +1800 |
| Rays | Kevin Cash | +1800 | +2000 |
| White Sox | Will Veneble | +1800 | +2000 |
NL Manager of the Year Odds
| Team | Manager | FanDuel | BetMGM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pirates | Don Kelly | +750 | +450 |
| Mets | Carlos Mendoza | +700 | +750 |
| Marlins | Clayton McCullough | +1200 | +800 |
| Reds | Terry Francona | +750 | +800 |
| Brewers | Pat Murphy | +1200 | +1000 |
| Cubs | Craig Counsell | +800 | +1000 |
| Dodgers | Dave Roberts | +800 | +1100 |
| Braves | Walt Weiss | +800 | +1100 |
| Padres | Craig Stammen | +850 | +1100 |
| Phillies | Rob Thomson | +800 | +1200 |
| Giants | Tony Vitello | +950 | +1400 |
| Diamondbacks | Torey Lovullo | +1200 | +1400 |
| Cardinals | Oliver Marmol | +2500 | +2500 |
| Nationals | Blake Butera | +3000 | +3000 |
| Rockies | Warren Schaeffer | +5000 | +6600 |
What Factors Impact Manager of the Year Odds?
The Manager of the Year market is driven by a fairly consistent set of signals. Understanding them is the difference between chasing a name and finding real value.
Team overperformance relative to preseason projections
This is the single biggest driver of Manager of the Year odds movement. Voters are not crowning the manager of the best team. They are rewarding the manager who did the most with what they had. A team projected for 75 wins that goes 90-72 and earns a Wild Card berth will generate serious Manager of the Year buzz. A team projected for 95 wins that finishes 97-65 will not, even though the record is better. The gap between expectation and result is the story voters respond to. In 2026, that narrative points toward managers like Matt Quatraro in Kansas City and Don Kelly in Pittsburgh, both leading teams with legitimate playoff paths and modest preseason expectations.
Playoff appearances by teams that missed the postseason the year before
First-time playoff appearances under a manager’s watch carry enormous weight with voters. If a team has not been to the postseason in several years and breaks through, the manager almost always gets credit regardless of how the roster talent compares to the rest of the field. The Pittsburgh Pirates, who have not made the playoffs since 2015, would be a classic example if Kelly guides them into October. The Royals under Quatraro carry similar logic, having missed the postseason in 2025 after making it in 2024.
In-season roster challenges and injury management
Voters pay attention to managers who keep contending teams afloat despite significant adversity. A manager who navigates a major injury to a star player and still reaches the postseason generates a stronger narrative than one with a clean bill of health all season. The 2025 award cycle is a good reference point: Stephen Vogt won the AL award after the Guardians erased an 11-game deficit in September despite a weak offensive roster, and that story of adversity management is exactly what voters reward. Keep track of injury news as the season develops because it directly feeds the Manager of the Year narrative.
Division title winners over Wild Card teams
Division winners consistently receive more consideration than Wild Card teams unless the Wild Card team had a dramatically compelling story. A manager whose team wins the division outright, especially in a competitive race, carries more narrative weight than one who scrapes into the playoffs as the third Wild Card. When assessing value on the board, look at which teams have realistic division title paths rather than just general playoff paths. This is also why understanding team-level betting context, including MLB underdog situations and how they develop over a season, can sharpen your read on which managers are building the right kind of story.
The impact of rule changes on manager decision-making
Rule changes that require active in-game strategy adjustments put a spotlight on managerial decision-making in a way that normal seasons do not. The 2026 season introduced the ABS challenge system, which gives teams two challenges per game on ball and strike calls and requires real-time strategic decisions about when to use them. Managers who integrate the challenge system effectively, deploying it in high-leverage situations and protecting it for the late innings, will have a tangible edge over those who mismanage it. Voters are likely to notice over the course of a full season which managers are getting the most out of this new tool.
Manager Odds Shift Throughout the Season
If there is one thing to take away from this market, it is that the board you see in April is not the board you will see in August. Manager of the Year odds are among the most volatile futures on the baseball betting calendar, and the movement is almost entirely driven by team performance relative to the expectations that were set before the season started.
Consider how dramatically the 2025 board moved. Stephen Vogt opened at +700 to win the AL award and was at +4000 by midsummer after the Tigers surged in the standings. Then the Guardians went 14-7 in September to climb back and win the division, and Vogt ultimately won the award for the second straight year. The bettors who got him at +700 in the spring made out. The ones who chased the movement at midseason paid for it.
The practical implication is straightforward. If you have a strong read on a team positioned to outperform expectations, the preseason window is where you get the best price. Once a team jumps out to a hot start and the narrative kicks in, the odds compress fast and the value is largely gone. Monitoring the board closely through April and May, when the early season stories are forming and the books have not yet fully repriced, is where this market rewards preparation.
Keep a close eye on the standings relative to preseason projections and the odds board at the same time. When those two things start to diverge in a meaningful way, that is your signal that the market is about to move.
