logo
Blue Jays: John Schneider finishes second in Manager of the Year voting
alt
Photo credit: © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Nov 11, 2025, 20:15 ESTUpdated: Nov 11, 2025, 20:17 EST
Comments
The Toronto Blue Jays had an incredible turnaround.
Their 2024 season was a disaster, as they finished with a 74-88 record, near the bottom of the league. Everything that could’ve gone wrong did, as it looked like the team was heading for a rebuild.
Then, their magical 2025 season happened, as they finished with a 94-68 record, best in the American League. Thanks to that turnaround, manager John Schneider was nominated for the American League Manager of the Year award. Unfortunately, he did not win it, as Cleveland Guardians’ bench boss Stephen Vogt picked up his second consecutive award.
Vogt likely won Manager of the Year as the Guardians made up 15 and a half games in the standings to win the division, but in the grand scope of things, they got hot at the right time while the Detroit Tigers got cold at the right time. The American League Central is and has always been the worst division in baseball, and this award should’ve been given to Schneider.
Along with Schneider and Vogt, Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson was the other nominee, as he led the Mariners to first place in the American League West for the first time since 2001.
Schneider was robbed of the Manager of the Year, but he’ll be the manager for the American League at the 2026 All-Star Game in Philadelphia. This is because the Blue Jays won the AL pennant, falling just shy of winning their third World Series in franchise history. It’s worth noting that the award was voted on before the start of the postseason.
Schneider has been in the Blue Jays organization since he was drafted in the 13th round of the 2002 draft. After his playing career ended after the 2007 season, he had various coaching and managerial roles until he was added to the Blue Jays’ coaching staff in 2019.
When Charlie Montoyo was fired in the summer of 2022, Schneider took over on an interim basis. Under his leadership, the Jays finished 46-28 for a .622 winning percentage, finishing with the first Wild Card spot. The Jays made the playoffs in 2023, Schneider’s first full season as their manager, as they went 89-73.
Despite not making the playoffs in 2024 thanks to a 74-88 record, the Blue Jays had the talent to be a playoff team. They proved that this past season by finishing with the third-best record in Major League Baseball.
Shortly after their World Series defeat, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins noted that the team had picked up the team option on Schneider’s contract, keeping him as the Blue Jays manager for at least the 2026 season. Don’t be surprised if he’s the Blue Jays’ manager for a while.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

Featured

News

Breaking News