Tracy finishes 3rd for AL Manager of the Year Award
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On Tuesday, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America voted Red Sox manager Chad Tracy the second runner-up for the 2026 American League Manager of the Year Award, behind winner Will Venable of the White Sox and the Rays’ Kevin Cash.
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What a pressurized situation Tracy was put into. On April 25, he was going about his job managing the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox. Shortly after that game, he received a phone call from Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow to pack his bags and hustle to Baltimore. He was named interim manager after the surprising dismissal of Alex Cora. Instead of being panicky or nervous, Tracy created instant calm and helped the Red Sox turn their season around in stunning fashion.
It took a while. On June 25, Boston went to the ballpark with a 32-46 record and the worst winning percentage (.410) in the American League. The Red Sox caught fire that day, going on a 32-5 run that vaulted the club back into the postseason picture.
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Some referred to it as the Tracy Transformation. It felt a lot like the summer of 1988 when another interim manager named Joe Morgan piloted his Red Sox to “Morgan’s Magic,” when the team went from nine games out at the All-Star break to AL East champs.
Helping Tracy hit the ground running was that so many of the players on the roster played for him during his four-plus-year stint managing Worcester. But Tracy earned the players’ respect all over again while performing in a role that came with much more pressure. Tracy guided the Red Sox to a postseason appearance that few thought could happen in June.
Boston went 77-58 under Tracy, including 55-29 in the final 84 games. The interim tag was replaced by a three-year contract extension on Sept. 22.