Collins named Sporting News' top NL skipper

KANSAS CITY -- As he enters the first World Series of his decades-long baseball career, Mets manager Terry Collins is doing so with increasing prestige. Sporting News on Tuesday named Collins its National League Manager of the Year, an award voted upon by his managerial peers.

"It's a tremendous honor," Collins said. "I'm humbled by that, because there are some great managers in this league -- very, very good ones."

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Collins received seven votes from a panel of NL managers, besting second-place finisher Mike Matheny of the Cardinals, who garnered five votes. Chicago's Joe Maddon finished in third place with one vote, while Minnesota's Paul Molitor won the American League award with five.

Sporting News has issued Manager of the Year awards since 1936. In addition to winning this year's Sporting News honor, Collins will be among the favorites to take home the Baseball Writers' Association of America's NL Manager of the Year Award (which is based entirely on the regular season), as well as MLB's Esurance MLB Award for Best Manager.

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"It's certainly, again, a great honor," Collins said. "But we're blessed as managers, because the only reason why I'm sitting here is I have good players. I owe them everything, for any awards that you get, you better look behind you and see the reason why you get those awards."

Coming off a 90-72 season and a World Series berth, Collins, 66, will almost certainly receive a new contract in the coming weeks. The Mets hold a one-year team option on his current deal for 2016.