Will Venable Wins AL Manager Year 2026 Awards, Full MLB Voting Results

After leading the Chicago White Sox to a historic turnaround, Will Venable has been rewarded for his efforts with the 2026 AL Manager of the Year award.

Venable received 15 first-place votes and 111 total points from the BBWAA voting to finish ahead of Kevin Cash of the Tampa Bay Rays and Chad Tracy of the Boston Red Sox.

Venable was originally hired by the White Sox after the 2024 season when the team set a new MLB record with 121 losses.

Chicago's first season under Venable didn't immediately stand out with a 60-102 record, but it was a 19-game improvement from the previous year.

Thanks in part to improved play from homegrown talent and outside acquisitions, most notably signing Munetaka Murakami, Venable led the White Sox to an 84-78 record in 2026 and their first playoff berth in five years.

The White Sox became the first team in MLB history to make the playoffs coming off at least two consecutive 100-loss seasons.

The White Sox first moved into first place in the AL Central on June 10, marking their first time in sole possession of the top spot in the division since April 17, 2022.

Even though the White Sox would eventually cede control of the AL Central to the Cleveland Guardians in the final weekend of the regular season, they clinched a playoff berth on Sept. 24 with a win over the Kansas City Royals.

Chicago won its first four playoff games, sweeping the Houston Astros in the AL Wild Card series and taking a 2-0 lead in the ALDS over Cleveland, to get within one win of reaching the ALCS.

The Guardians won three straight to close out the series, but Chicago's season was nothing short of a resounding success that has its future very bright.

Venable is the sixth White Sox skipper to win AL Manager of the Year. He joins past winners Tony La Russa (1983), Jeff Torborg (1990), Gene Lamont (1993), Jerry Manuel (2000) and Ozzie Guillén (2005).