Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz assembled a nice haul of talent during what was expected to be an extremely long rebuild, but he needed the right clubhouse leader to develop players and keep morale high. Will Venable, who had already spent time sharpening his coaching skills on the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox, proved he was the man to undertake this colossal challenge. His new trophy says as much.
The former MLB outfielder beat out Kevin Cash and Chad Tracy for the 2026 American League Manager of the Year Award. He is the first White Sox skipper to receive this honor since Ozzie Guillen did so during the franchise's World Series-winning 2005 campaign, per USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale.
Article Continues Below"A really special group that created a belief early on in the year… our guys just never backed down."@whitesox manager Will Venable shares what he learned from this season on his way to winning AL Manager of the Year. https://t.co/Z3mr9mlGns pic.twitter.com/fRyBjZlJjf
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 11, 2026