Garcia (ROY), Baker (MOY) are award finalists

November 9th, 2021

HOUSTON -- Astros manager Dusty Baker, who received a one-year contract extension with the club for the 2022 season on Friday, has been named a finalist for the American League Manager of the Year Award. Meanwhile, right-handed pitcher is a finalist for the AL Rookie of the Year Award.

Baker, who was National League Manager of the Year with the Giants in 1993, 1997 and 2000, led the Astros to the AL West title and 95 wins in his second season as the manager of the club. The 2022 season will mark Baker’s 25th as a Major League manager and third with the Astros, who hired him in January 2020.

The winner, determined by voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, will be announced Nov. 16. Kevin Cash of the Rays and Scott Servais of the Mariners are the other finalists in the AL.

“The unfinished business is to win the World Series, not only for me but for the organization as well,” Baker said Friday. “We’ve been to the World Series the last couple of times and had a good year but not a great year.”

Baker will enter next season just 13 wins shy of reaching 2,000 in his career. His 1,987 wins are 12th-most all-time, and 10 of the 11 managers who have more wins are in the Hall of Fame. Baker has also managed the Giants (1993-2002), Cubs (2003-06), Reds (2008-13) and Nationals (2016-17).

Garcia, who made his Major League debut last September, went 11-8 with a 3.48 ERA in 30 games (28 starts) in the regular season for the Astros. He led AL rookie pitchers in WAR (3.1), wins, innings pitched (155 1/3) and strikeouts (167) – the second-highest strikeout total by a rookie in club history.

The other finalists for AL Rookie of the Year are Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena and Rays shortstop Wander Franco. The winner will be announced Monday.