AL Manager of the Year Rankings: Robin Ventura and Mike Scioscia Crack Top 5

A week ago, the races in the AL Central and the AL West really weren't all that interesting. The Cleveland Indians were leading the Central seemingly by default, and the Texas Rangers were all alone on top of the West.

It's amazing how much can change in a week.

Suddenly, the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Angels are on fire. The White Sox have won eight in a row, and the Angels had their own eight-game win streak broken up on Wednesday night. They have the Rangers in their sights, while the White Sox have taken over management of the Central.

The way things are going for both clubs right now, Robin Ventura and Mike Scioscia can do no wrong. And thanks to their recent button-pushing, both of them now loom large in the AL Manager of the Year race.

Here's an updated look at the top five contenders for the award.

Note: Feel free to check out last week's rankings.

5. Mike Scioscia, Los Angeles Angels

Last Week: Unranked

When the Angels fired Mickey Hatcher back on May 15, I started wondering how long it was going to be before Mike Scioscia got the axe.

So much for that. The Angels have won 10 of their last 15 games to pull to an even .500 at 26-26, and they looked very strong during their eight-game win streak. Their lineup has really picked it up, with players like Albert Pujols, Mike Trout and Mark Trumbo all making significant contributions.

For his part, Mike Scioscia deserves tons of credit for getting the team's bullpen to shape up. It was a weak point for much of the season, but the pen has a 1.76 ERA over the last two weeks. That's pretty impressive seeing as how the pen has had to pick up quite a few innings in this stretch.

Scioscia will have to keep up the good work when it comes to handling his pitching staff. With Jered Weaver going on the disabled list with back issues, everybody is going to have to pitch in (no pun intended) on the mound for the next couple weeks.

The Angels still have work to do if they want to catch the Rangers. But for the first time all season, Scioscia's team is making it interesting.

4. Robin Ventura, Chicago White Sox

Last Week: Unranked

The White Sox couldn't be hotter right now. They've won 12 of their last 13 games, and they're benefiting from both great hitting and great pitching.

The numbers speak for themselves. In the last 14 days, the White Sox have scored 89 runs and hit 25 home runs. They're batting .298 and slugging .525 as a team.

The pitching has been almost as good. Though they have a merely decent 4.22 ERA, White Sox starters have a record of 9-1 in their last 13 starts. Young lefty Chris Sale has been particularly brilliant, as he's allowed just one earned run over 14.1 innings in his last two starts.

Robin Ventura hasn't done anything too fancy, but you just get the sense that he's the right guy in the right place at the right time. His players believe in him, and he's done a good job of keeping them focused.

Are the White Sox as good as they've looked over the last two weeks? No. But in a surprisingly weak AL Central, they definitely look good enough to win the division.

3. Bobby Valentine, Boston Red Sox

Last Week: No. 5

In the span of a couple weeks, Bobby Valentine has gone from being in way over his head to being a miracle worker.

The Red Sox have been playing great baseball for three weeks, and none of it makes any sense. They keep coming up with new injuries, and Bobby V has been forced to use strange lineups featuring Adrian Gonzalez in right field and guys like Daniel Nava batting leadoff.

Despite all the weirdness, the Red Sox have managed to win 14 of their last 19 games. They entered Thursday night's contest against the Detroit Tigers two games over .500 for the first time all season.

I made this point last week, but it's worth reiterating that Bobby V has done the impossible by figuring out Boston's bullpen woes. The Red Sox are going to finish the month of May with a bullpen ERA well under 3.00.

The Red Sox shouldn't be this good, and that's a testament to the fine work Bobby V has done over the last couple weeks. Things promise to be even better once they get all their injured players back.

2. Buck Showalter, Baltimore Orioles

Last Week: No. 1

For a while there, Buck Showalter had a vice-grip on the top spot in the AL Manager of the Year race.

Not so much now. The O's have lost eight of their last 10 games, and both their pitching and their offense have gone missing. 

Baltimore's starting pitching has been particularly troublesome. Showalter's starting rotation had a solid 3.63 ERA in April, and it proceeded to climb to 5.16 in May. Baltimore starters have found their way into the loss column in four straight games.

A return to earth like this was bound to happen for the Orioles. Their pitching talent is not as impressive as their offensive talent, and their offense simply hasn't been able to pick up the slack over the last 10 days or so.

There's not a whole lot Showalter can do to turn things around. He's doing what he can with what he's got.

Nonetheless, he's still high in the running for the AL Manager of the Year for one reason: He's probably the only manager alive who could shape this Orioles team into a first-place club.

1. Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay Rays

Last Week: No. 2

Though not to the same extent as the Orioles, the Rays are another team that has fallen on hard times recently. They've lost six of their last 10 games.

The bright side is that the Rays haven't embarrassed themselves in this stretch. They took two of three in Boston against the Red Sox, and they could have easily walked away with a sweep had it not been for a Jarrod Saltalamacchia walk-off home run. And despite the fact they got swept by the White Sox, they played them pretty tough.

The fact that the Rays are even good enough to be tied with the Orioles atop the AL East is impressive. Their pitching still hasn't yet realized its full potential, and guys like Evan Longoria and Desmond Jennings are missing from their lineup.

Joe Maddon has handled the adversity well, as he always does. He's managed an undermanned bullpen very well, his crazy lineup tactics work more often than not, and his infield shifts have been more effective than you probably think. The Rays may have an ugly .977 fielding percentage, but they're also second in baseball with 32 defensive runs saved, according to FanGraphs.

With Showalter's Orioles sinking, Maddon is now the man to beat in the AL Manager of the Year race.

Last Week's Rankings

5. Bobby Valentine, Boston Red Sox

He just keeps squeezing wins out of an undermanned club.

4. John Farrell, Toronto Blue Jays

He hasn't done anything wrong. I just moved him out to make space for Scioscia and Ventura.

3. Manny Acta, Cleveland Indians

The Indians have lost five of six, and it hasn't been pretty.

2. Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay Rays

Movin' on up.

1. Buck Showalter, Baltimore Orioles

Now begins the true test for Showalter.

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