The most exciting time of the year is upon us; where the rumor mill is endless and the idea of your favorite player gearing up for your favorite team is worth the fantasy. As we look into the what-ifs about how each team’s starting nine can get better going into 2026 we also need to factor in the managerial support these players get as well as operations supporting staff that play a role in building an important roster.

The starting nine players are the most important part of a roster construction and along side the pitching staff determine whether or not the team is a viable threat to make the playoff. But ever crew needs a captain and this piece specifically talks about the leaders in charge of the team. I don’t mean team captains I mean managers and those that play a role in creating the lineup each and everyday and putting the strongest team out there to compete.

A handful of teams received new managers or new heads operations so today I will rank based off how well I think they will adjust to their new job and how good of a choice they may be for their new clubhouse. A personal ranking is not decisive and doesn’t mean those that ranked lower are due to have a worse performance it just means they have more to prove.

1. Texas Rangers: Skip Schumaker

I rated Skip Schumaker as the number one candidate to lead in 2026 due to his prior experience as manager of the Miami Marlins. He is one of few managers on this list of newcomers who I believe can be effective in understanding clubhouse in the past to work past them and have it translate towards a winning culture. Skip was hired to replace Don Mattingly back in 2022 and after a disastrous 69-93 season the team needed new flavor to lead their staff. With no managerial experience, He quickly shift an almost 100 loss team into an 84 win season and wildcard berth overnight. Although the Marlins were swept in the first round by the Phillies, it is commendable to say the least that someone with zero experience managing helped create winning culture in his first season with a team that historically is used to loosing.

After winning the 2023 Manager of the Year award, Skip had a challenging season in 2024 and was unfortunately let go after the season was over. He spent the past year working in the Texas Rangers organization as an advisor for the team. Overall these are just predictions so nothing is set in stone but out of all the managers having a young manager who is up to date with modern statistics and technology is always the most effective approach to managing in 2026. His ability to turn around a depleted Marlins team into winning culture shows he connects easily with veterans and young players. He doesn’t overthink his lineups and trusts his guys and will take an unorthodox approach to his lineup if his players aren’t performing at the level they should be. It’s important to also be a major league player with experience understanding the hustle and grind of the everyday season.

2. Anaheim Angels: Kurt Suzuki

Kurt Suzuki is honestly my favorite manager on this list that I am most excited about. It was between him and Skip Schumaker for the first choice but with Skip having prior experience and success I bumped Suzuki to two. Consider these two 1A and 1B. Suzuki better known for his illustrious career with the Athletics, Angels and Nationals most notably for his performance in the 2019 World Series is suiting up for the first time as manager. I consider this man a brilliant and totally amazing icon to work for and believe he will have a ton of success as manager.

Beyond my confidence in his abilities, I believe so strongly in his potential because of the proven success rate of former catchers transitioning into managerial roles. The most recent success from a catcher turned manager came from Suzuki’s old catching mate, Stephen Vogt who led the Cleveland Guardians to the postseason his past two seasons while also taking home consecutive manager of the year awards. Out of all the nine positions, catchers are the best to become to major league managers. They not only work with hitters and attend hitters meetings but orchestrate the pitching staff and coordinate what pitches to utilize to best attack the opposite team.

These skills easily translate towards managing and I feel so much confidence in Suzuki’s ability to lead an Angels team that hasn’t made the playoffs in over 11 years. Former catchers do well as managers because it requires strategic leadership and an understanding of the game altogether. So many catchers become managers most notably former San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy who led the Giants to three world series championships in the 2010s. Other notable names include Joe Torre known for his commendable efforts leading the Yankees to 4 World Series titles throughout the 1990s. Mike Scioscia and Brad Ausmus are other notable names who have made strides to be strong managers and player development in today’s game. What worked for these guys I see prominently in Suzuki and believe in his talents and prior experience to lead this ball club.

3. San Francisco Giants: Tony Vitello

This manager has the highest upside among the group, and while his path is somewhat unconventional, I believe he would be a strong addition to the Giants’ coaching staff. Welcome in Tony Vitello to the San Francisco Giants as he looks to become the first college coach to take the leap from collegiate sports to MLB without any major league experience in-between.

Tony Vitello will be the difference marker for the Giants who haven’t had a winning season since their 107 winning season in 2021 and haven’t had consistent winning since the early 2010’s. He brings an illustrious resume and will provide the sharp leadership that players can rely on for help. A previous coach for the Tennessee Volunteers has lead them to five NCAA regionals in 2019, and 2021-2024, four super regionals across this time and three College World Series appearances in 2021, 2023, 2023 and won the first national title for the Volunteers in its team’s history..

Vitello has spent the last eight years as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers, a top-tier NCAA Division I team at the University of Tennessee that has seen consistent success as a powerhouse of Division I baseball. It is clear the impact Tony Vitello has had on his players, capped off by a 2024 College World Series victory, with 10 players from the 2022 season selected in the MLB Draft and eight players earning postseason All-American honors.

4. Colorado Rockies: *Paul DePodesta*

This one is not a manager; in fact, Paul DePodesta is not going to be a coach of any kind for the Colorado Rockies, but I still thought it was important to include him on this list. DePodesta, also known as Billy Beane’s right-hand man from the movie Moneyball, helped revolutionize the analytics department and played a key role in helping early-2000s Oakland Athletics teams rise to sustained success.

After a historically awful 2025 Colorado Rockies season, the organization had to quickly realign its priorities and make sure it gets back on the right path for the future. Although winning is not imminent in the near term, it is incredibly important to set the building blocks for long-term success and eventually return October baseball to Denver. That process starts with revamping the operations department and bringing in someone who has experience turning struggling teams into consistent contenders.

While the Oakland Athletics and Colorado Rockies are vastly different in terms of sustained success and ballpark challenges—with the Rockies facing far more difficulty due to playing at high elevation—it is still no small task for Paul DePodesta as he looks to slowly address the organizational issues that have held the franchise back.

While he was not the primary decision-maker in Oakland, DePodesta played a key role in building teams around important players such as Nick Swisher, who became a core on-base contributor, and Bobby Crosby, who was drafted in 2001 and went on to win Rookie of the Year in 2004.

Much of the talent DePodesta prioritized consisted of players with strong plate discipline and the ability to consistently get on base. In a ballpark like Coors Field, which features one of the largest outfields in baseball, it is in the Rockies’ best interest to value hitters who control the strike zone and reach base regularly. While power is always valuable, emphasizing on-base percentage over traditional tools can be just as important. This philosophy helped the Athletics become a competitive organization known for its ability to identify undervalued talent. If DePodesta can implement even a fraction of that approach in Colorado, the Rockies could be headed in the right direction.

5. Baltimore Orioles: Craig Albernaz

I originally did not think that highly of Craig Albernaz but with a revamped Orioles team led by Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward it feels like Albernaz is the perfect fit. After two years in the Tampa Rays organization he takes his talents to Baltimore to fill the void left by Brandon Hyde. A franchise known for their immaculate player development, Albernaz was a big part of that as we went 145-83 (.636%) across two seasons within the organization.

In 2018, Albernaz led the 2018 high-A affiliate Tampa Bay Rays to the Midwest League Championship and manager of the year before moving to MLB roles. He was also a minor league coordinator for the Rays in 2019. He is a really great option and in my opinion has what it takes to lead a young Orioles lineup due to his experience dealing with players of similar ages in the minor leagues.