The Manager of the Year Award race might be tighter than the divisions themselves as Buck Showalter, Bob Melvin and Robin Ventura are doing what nobody thought possible. They are currently on top of either their division or the Wild Card in the American League.
All of these managers deserve the award for Manager of the Year because of the way they have led their teams in 2012.
The Baltimore Orioles have been in a week-long battle with the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Chicago White Sox are finding ways to keep the Detroit Tigers off their backs and the Oakland A's have made it a three-team battle in the AL West.
Out of all the teams on this list, the Athletics have to be the biggest surprise. They are in a division featuring two of the biggest payrolls in baseball as the Texas Rangers are No. 6 and the Los Angeles Angels are No. 4. Nobody had the A's in the playoff hunt in 2012. The Athletics currently have the second lowest payroll in the Majors and Billy Bean continues to prove that moneyball is the best way to go.
Showalter has battled the Orioles back from obscurity. They have built off their 2011 beating of the Boston Red Sox as they ensured the team would not make it to the playoffs or at least have to battle another day to gain entry. The Orioles are also a team in a division with big payrolls as the Yankees are No.1 and the Red Sox are No. 3.
The Orioles were 10 games back from the Yankees in July, but they now find themselves a Yankee-slip away from taking over first place. They also have found a way to keep the Tampa Bay Rays in check as the Yankees and Rays entered the season the favorites to win out of the AL East.
Last but not least, Robin Ventura, in his first year as a manager, has guided the White Sox back as a force in the Central. Since winning the World Series in 2005, the Sox have only been to the playoffs once in 2008 after an 89-74 season. They played well in 2006, but the Tigers and Minnesota Twins found a way to better the Sox's 90-72 record.
Everybody surely had the Tigers in the AL Central, but Ventura and the Sox have had strong pitching and Adam Dunn has shown signs of the home run hitter the White Sox expected to get last season.
We are just under a month away from the conclusion of the season. Anything could happen, but if these managers continue leading their teams to success, we might have shocking playoff scenarios.
The Orioles are currently tied for first with the Yankees as they possess a 79-62 record. The White Sox lead the Tigers by two games in the AL Central. The Athletics hold the top spot in the AL Wild Card and just three games behind the Rangers in the AL West.
