The pre-season 2026 MLB Manager of the Year odds have Dan Wilson and John Schneider tied for the best odds in the American League. In the NL, Cubs manager Craig Counsell is the opening favorite for the award.
What are the other favorites and who’s most likely to win? Let’s explore the betting odds for the AL and NL Manager of the Year awards. I highlight the top contenders in both leagues and break down my predictions!
MLB Manager of the Year Odds for 2026
BetUS has exciting MLB futures for every season-long award, including Manager of the Year. Here are the top contenders for the NL and AL Manager of the Year awards.
AL Manager of the Year 2026 Odds
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- Dan Wilson (+550)
- John Schneider (+550)
- Stephen Vogt (+650)
- Craig Albernaz (+700)
- J. Hinch (+750)
- Alex Cora (+900)
- Skip Schumaker (+1200)
- Mark Kotsay (+1200)
Seattle’s Dan Wilson opened as the favorite to win AL Manager of the Year last season as well. He finished third in the voting, losing to Cleveland’s Stephen Vogt. Wilson will be eager to win this time around, opening 2026 tied for the best odds with Toronto’s John Schneider at +550 odds.
Dan Wilson in his first full season as the Mariners manager:
90-72 Record
AL West Champions
No. 2 seed in AL + BYEDAN THE MAN 🔱 pic.twitter.com/hqL5yaoWmG
— SleeperMariners (@SleeperMariners) September 29, 2025
Schneider finished ahead of Wilson in the voting, racking up 91 points, including 10 first-place votes. Vogt, the reigning AL Manager of the Year, has the third-best odds at +650.
Rounding out the top five are Baltimore’s Craig Albernaz (+700) and Detroit’s A.J. Hinch (+750). Albernaz is entering his first season as the Orioles’ manager. Hinch, conversely, has been with the Tigers since October 2020 and finished fifth in Manager of the Year voting last year.
NL Manager of the Year 2026 Odds
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- Craig Counsell (+550)
- Pat Murphy (+600)
- Walt Weiss (+700)
- Craig Stammen (+1000)
- Dave Roberts (+1000)
- Clayton McCullough (+1000)
- Terry Francona (+1000)
- Don Kelly (+1000)
Craig Counsell is the +550 opening favorite to win Manager of the Year in the NL this season. Counsell is listed at +550 odds after finishing fourth in the voting last season, with his odds implying a win probability of 15.38%.
Craig Counsell on Seiya Suzuki's role this season ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/0WqR2gXSOw
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) February 13, 2026
Pat Murphy is a close second at 6-1 odds. After leading the Brewers to 97 wins in the 2025 regular season, Murphy earned 141 points, including 27 of 30 first-place votes, to take home the NL Manager of the Year award in dominant fashion.
Atlanta’s Walt Weiss rounds out the top three at +700. Then, there is a five-way tie for the fourth-best odds. Craig Stammen (SD), Dave Roberts (LAD), Clayton McCullough (MIA), Terry Francona (CIN), and Don Kelly (PIT) are all listed at 10-1 odds to win Manager of the Year.
See the latest MLB futures odds by going to BetUS and navigating to Sports > Baseball> MLB Awards.
AL Manager of the Year 2026 Favorites
Vogt’s win last year ended a run of four straight 90+ win managers taking home Manager of the Year in the AL. Keep reading for a closer look at the co-favorites for AL Manager of the Year, courtesy of the top MLB betting sites.
Dan Wilson (+550)
Dan Wilson guided Seattle to 90 wins last season and their first division title in 24 years in his first full season as manager. It was the Mariners’ best regular-season record since 2022, when they also won 90 games.
THE MARINERS WIN THE WEST‼️
The Seattle Mariners are AL West champs for the first time since 2001 🙌 pic.twitter.com/fyP1G2KzaS
— ESPN (@espn) September 25, 2025
Wilson is the +550 co-favorite to win Manager of the Year in the AL and will be hoping to improve his team’s performance to achieve it.
Cal Raleigh’s breakout season was a major part of the Mariners’ success last season. Raleigh is unlikely to rack up 60 homers again this season, but he will still be a vital part of Wilson’s plans in 2026.
The Major’s leading HR hitter and a 90-win season only netted Wilson two first-place votes in last year’s Manager of the Year voting. If he can push Seattle to the top seed in the AL, Wilson could have more success with the voters this year.
Overall, he’s in a good position to succeed, and the odds for him are solid.
John Schneider (+550)
The other manager tied at +550 odds to win Manager of the Year in the AL is John Schneider. In 2025, Schneider helped the Blue Jays earn 94 wins in the regular season. He also led them to a World Series appearance, where Toronto lost in seven games to the Dodgers.
John Schneider is feeling good about where Jose Berrios is at right now pic.twitter.com/mGXvQf4QYL
— Blue Jays Today (@TodayJays) March 2, 2026
The Blue Jays tied for the best record in the AL last season, but Schneider only earned 10 first-place votes in the Manager of the Year voting.
Schneider also earned 11 second-place votes, but his 91 total points ended just behind Vogt (113).
Expectations are higher for Schneider and Toronto this season after their appearance in the Fall Classic. The Blue Jays also lost Bo Bichette to free agency. On the other hand, the Blue Jays upgraded their pitching rotation with Dylan Cease, who has started 30+ games in five straight years.
Still, I’m don’t see value on Scheider as the bar is high to begin with. Even a very good season by his team likely won’t suffice for the award.
NL Manager of the Year 2026 Favorites
The NL is also setting up for an exciting Manager of the Year race. Craig Counsell and Pat Murphy are listed at +550 and +600, respectively, in the current odds.
Craig Counsell (+550)
Chicago’s Counsell opened last season as the +500 favorite to win NL Manager of the Year. The Cubs won 92 games, their most since 2018, but only finished second in the NL Central.
Who is the ace of the Cubs?
Craig Counsell: "You're not going to get me to answer that." 😂
MLB Network + @SageUSAmerica pic.twitter.com/EwsLSj3tH6
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 28, 2026
Despite a successful regular season, Counsell failed to garner much recognition from the voters. He did not earn a single first-place vote and finished with just 24 points in the final NL Manager of the Year voting.
Counsell is once again the favorite to open the season, this time listed at +550. Chicago had a winning record each of his first two years, and they improved on their record last year. If Counsell and company can increase their win total again, he will be in the conversation for Manager of the Year. Still, the odds are too short, so I don’t recommend backing Counsell.
Pat Murphy (+600)
Pat Murphy and the Brewers finished with 97 wins last season, beating the aforementioned Cubs for the NL Central title. It was Milwaukee’s most successful regular-season in team history, and Murphy won his second consecutive Manager of the Year award.
“You can’t lead with power. You lead with truth, authenticity. You have to earn the influence. You have to earn the impact. Your words only count if they trust you, believe in you. The only way they’re going to do that is if they know you love them,” Pat Murphy @DigginDeepShows… pic.twitter.com/583msJV2ru
— The Winning Difference (@thewinningdiff1) February 23, 2026
Setting a new franchise record for regular-season wins was a major reason Murphy earned 27 out of 30 first-place votes for Manager of the Year last season. He also earned twos second place votes, racking up 141 total points.
Improving on last year’s success will be easier said than done. They were also swept in the NLCS, putting even more pressure on Murphy and company in 2026. Voter fatigue and high expectations work against the Brewers manager.
2026 MLB Manager of the Year Sleepers
Betting on sleepers can be a fun and effective way to take advantage of preseason Manager of the Year odds. Here are my top sleeper picks for the AL and NL Manager of the Year awards.
AL Manager of the Year Sleepers
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- Skip Schumaker (+1200)
- Aaron Boone (+2200)
Skip Schumaker earned a 146-176 (.453) record in his two years as manager of the Marlins. He won Manager of the Year in 2023 by leading Miami to an 84-78 record. Texas was 81-81 last season, finishing third in the AL West while leading the division in run differential with +79, so Schumaker has plenty of talent to work with.
“I want him to be feared once again.”
New Rangers manager Skip Schumaker wants the old Josh Jung to return to the lineup pic.twitter.com/hRIgdyJTQ3
— DLLS Rangers (@DLLS_Rangers) December 9, 2025
Another dark horse to consider in the AL is the Yankees’ Aaron Boone at +2200. Boone manages a talented roster, but he has underachieved despite winning 92+ games in four of the last five years. If Boone can get the Yanks back to 100+ wins in 2026, he can go from the favorite to be the first manager fired (+400) to Manager of the Year.
NL Manager of the Year Sleepers
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- Tony Vitello (+1400)
- Rob Thomson (+2200)
After eight seasons coaching at Tennessee, Tony Vitello is making the jump to the Big Leagues as the new manager of the San Francisco Giants. Vitello never had a losing season as the Vols’ coach, earning a 341-131 (.722) record and winning the 2024 College World Series.
Competing with the Dodgers will be tough, but if Vitello can lead SF to the playoffs, he will be in the conversation for Manager of the Year. I have high expectations for him, so the odds of +1400 are certainly worth a shot.
Tony Vitello has very quickly brought a new energy into the Giants clubhouse. From a "frat" like energy to jumping into PFPs, players have enjoyed the new era. #SFGiants | @kpixtv pic.twitter.com/XqF4mtB6zp
— Matt Lively (@mattblively) February 16, 2026
Rob Thomson is listed at +2200 odds to win Manager of the Year in the NL. Thomson has led the Phillies to the playoffs in each of his first four years as manager, including a World Series appearance in 2022. Another 95+ win season will make it challenging for the voters to deny Thomson the award.
MLB Manager of the Year 2026 Predictions and Betting Picks
Managers have 162 games to prove they are the best coach in their league. Here are my picks for NL and AL Manager of the Year.
AL Manager of the Year Prediction
Dan Wilson (+550) is my pick for Manager of the Year in the AL. Seattle has been one of the top teams in the league this decade, including five consecutive winning seasons.
"Jerry [Dipoto] & Justin [Hollander] did such a great job of putting the roster back together… when you start adding those pieces, it's really exciting."@Mariners manager Dan Wilson discusses Brendan Donovan and a loaded farm system in Seattle.
MLB Network + @SageUSAmerica pic.twitter.com/U8ngmJOyzQ
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 25, 2026
Wilson was third in the voting last year, finishing with 50 points. If he leads the Mariners to another AL West title, Wilson should receive first-place votes again this season.
The West is the easiest division in the AL, which should make it easier for Wilson and the Mariners to make the playoffs. Seattle was the only team from the West to make the postseason in 2025. Winning the division again is the first step toward winning Manager of the Year for Wilson in 2026.
NL Manager of the Year Prediction
My best bet to win Manager of the Year in the NL is Tony Vitello (+1400). The former Tennessee head coach is taking over a Giants team that went .500 last year.
Presenting the full 2026 Major League coaching staff, led by Manager Tony Vitello ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/KZ4w3DTnXU
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) February 6, 2026
San Francisco added Harrison Bader in free agency to provide veteran help on offense. The Team has also addressed its bullpen, including adding Sam Hentges and Jason Foley.
According to the President of Baseball Operations, Buster Posey, SF is not done making moves. Adding more veteran help could go a long way toward improving Vitello’s chances of success in year one.
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