Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable has been named the 2026 American League Manager of the Year, the league announced Wednesday. Venable, in his first season at the helm, guided the White Sox to a surprising turnaround after the club's historic 121-loss campaign in 2025.
The award marks the first Manager of the Year honor for Venable, a former major league outfielder who joined Chicago's coaching staff in 2024 before being promoted to manager last offseason. Under his leadership, the White Sox significantly improved their win total and remained competitive deep into the season.
Venable edged out fellow finalists for the Baseball Writers' Association of America honor. The 42-year-old becomes the fourth White Sox manager to win the award, joining Tony La Russa (1983, 1993, 2000), Gene Lamont (1993), and Ozzie Guillén (2005).
