Manager of the Year is always a finicky award to evaluate. We each have our different definitions of what makes a “manager of the year.” Is it the manager who did the most with the least? Is it the one who had the best record? Is it the one who defied expectations?
With all due respect to Rocco Baldelli and Kevin Cash, Aaron Boone has a legitimate case to win this award.
First of all, Boone checks most of the boxes that I just mentioned. While the Yankees were expected to be the juggernaut they were this year, those expectations were with a fairly healthy roster.