Will Venable was named the American League Manager of the Year on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, becoming the first Chicago White Sox manager to claim the honor since Ozzie Guillen won it in 2005. The award marks just the sixth time in franchise history that a White Sox skipper has taken home the AL's top managerial distinction — a rare achievement that underscores how significant Venable's 2026 season was on the South Side.

Will Venable Named 2026 AL Manager of the Year: The Number That Defines It

Twenty-one years. That is the gap between Guillen's 2005 honor and Venable's 2026 recognition. To put that drought in perspective, only five White Sox managers in the entire history of the franchise had ever won the award before Venable added his name to that list. This is not a trophy the organization hands out often, and the voters around the league do not hand it to the South Side lightly either.

What AL Manager of the Year Recognition Means for the White Sox

The AL Manager of the Year award is voted on by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America and represents the consensus judgment of baseball's professional press corps on who guided their team most effectively over the course of a season. Winning it places Venable in an exclusive group within White Sox history.

  • Total White Sox AL Manager of the Year winners all-time: 6
  • Most recent prior winner: Ozzie Guillen, 2005
  • Years between White Sox winners: 21

Guillen's 2005 award arrived alongside a World Series championship — one of the most celebrated seasons in franchise history. Venable's 2026 recognition stands on its own as the latest chapter in a short but meaningful list of managerial excellence recognized at the highest level of the sport.

Why the BBWAA Chose Will Venable

The Baseball Writers' Association of America does not hand this award out as a consolation prize. Voters across the American League evaluated every dugout in the league and landed on Venable. The 2026 AL Manager of the Year award is the most prominent individual honor of his managerial career and a formal, league-wide verdict on what he accomplished with this White Sox club over the course of the season.

What makes the recognition striking is the company it places Venable in. Only five White Sox managers in franchise history had earned this distinction before him. The voters had 21 years of precedent telling them how rarely the South Side produces an AL Manager of the Year, and they still chose Venable. That is not an accident — it is a judgment that his decisions, his handling of the roster, and his ability to position this team to win stood above every other dugout in the league in 2026.

For a franchise that last received this honor during the 2005 World Series run — arguably the most celebrated season in White Sox history — Venable's award carries real weight. It is not just a feather in his cap. It is an argument that the direction of this organization, from the dugout on down, earned recognition at the highest level of the sport.

What Comes Next for Venable and the White Sox

The award was announced during the offseason, and the White Sox enter the coming months with a manager who now carries the weight of a formal league-wide endorsement. For a franchise that last saw this kind of managerial recognition during a World Series year, the hardware Venable collected on November 10 sets a clear standard heading into 2027.

Six times in franchise history. Twenty-one years between winners. Venable's name is now part of that list, and the South Side took notice.