MLB Manager of the Year Odds 2025: AL & NL Favorites, Predictions

The best way to profit from identifying surprise MLB teams is by betting on the Manager of the Year market — something that proved true in 2024.

Stephen Vogt won American League Manager of the Year in his first season with the Cleveland Guardians, leading them to a division title and an ALCS appearance. In the National League, Pat Murphy of the Milwaukee Brewers earned the honor after also securing a division title in his first year.

Both managers led their teams to the postseason, continuing a trend: Since 2012, all 26 Manager of the Year winners have reached the playoffs. Of those, 22 led teams that had missed the postseason the year before.

When betting on this award, focus on managers whose teams are poised to make the playoffs — especially those coming off a non-playoff season.

With that in mind, here’s a look at the latest MLB odds and my favorite picks for this market in 2025:

AL Manager of the Year Odds 2025: Favorites

The American League Manager of the Year odds experienced a shift at the top after the first week of the season, with Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora surpassing Detroit Tigers’ A.J. Hinch as the betting favorite. Cora’s +350 odds indicate an implied probability of 22.22% of winning the award.

That’s great news for anyone who followed my preseason suggestion of Cora when his odds were as long as +750.

The case for Cora remains strong, as I believe in the Red Sox’s future odds for 2025. This team is not only talented enough to secure its first playoff berth since 2021, but it could also win the division and potentially earn a bye for the first time since 2018.

For the Red Sox to reach their potential, Cora must push all the right buttons.

He’s off to a good start by convincing Rafael Devers to transition to designated hitter, as Boston’s infield defense is stronger with Alex Bregman at third base. Cora must also provide opportunities for talented young players, including Kristian Campbell, the early favorite for AL Rookie of the Year odds.

The Red Sox’s bullpen remains the biggest question, but Cora will get credit if that unit is better than expected.

I remain confident in Cora’s chances of winning this award. Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, who is a co-favorite after being +800 entering the year, is likely to be Cora’s primary challenger.

However, if these two teams turn out to be the best in the AL (as I expect), voters will likely favor the team that didn’t win the World Series two years ago.

Prediction: Alex Cora (+350)

NL Manager of the Year Odds 2025: Favorites

Based on the latest MLB betting lines, an NL Central manager could once again win Manager of the Year in 2025. Cincinnati Reds’ Terry Francona is the betting favorite at +300, closely followed by Chicago Cubs’ Craig Counsell at +325.

St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol is now third at +550, having been as high as +3000 during the preseason.

Like in the American League, I remain satisfied with my preseason position in the NL Manager of the Year market after backing Counsell at a +500 price tag.

The reality of the NL Manager of the Year race is that there likely won’t be many surprise teams. The Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, and San Diego Padres all have minus odds to make the playoffs again.

The Arizona Diamondbacks, who missed the playoffs by one game last year after reaching the 2023 World Series, also have minus odds to make the postseason.

Focusing on the NL Central winner is the most effective strategy for this market, and the Cubs are evidently the top team in the division.

FanGraphs gives Chicago a 44.8% chance of winning the NL Central, suggesting a fair price closer to +123.

Counsell would receive all the credit for the Cubs returning to the postseason for the first time since 2020, so I’d prefer to support his current NL Manager of the Year value rather than back the Cubs’ division odds.

Prediction: Craig Counsell (+325)

2024 AL Manager of the Year Voting

2024 NL Manager of the Year Voting

List of AL & NL Manager of the Year Winners

Managers With Most Manager of the Year Awards

Bobby Cox, Buck Showalter, and Tony La Russa are tied for the most awards (four):

Bobby Cox: 4
Buck Showalter: 4
Tony La Russa: 4
Joe Maddon: 3
Lou Piniella: 3
Dusty Baker: 3
Terry Francona: 3
Bob Melvin: 3

Teams With Most Manager of the Year Awards

The Chicago White Sox have the most awards of any team (five):

White Sox: 5
Athletics: 4
Rays: 4
Cubs: 4
Braves: 4
Orioles: 4
Twins: 4
Giants: 4