Every MLB team needs a manager, but not all managers are created equal. Some truly shape their squads into dynasties, while others… well, they just happen to be in the right place at the right time.
Whether they rode a stacked roster to glory or simply kept the seat warm while generational talent did their thing, these 15 managers got a little more credit than they deserved.
15. Bob Brenly – Arizona Diamondbacks
Yes, he won the 2001 World Series. Yes, he managed a team featuring Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, arguably the greatest 1-2 punch in baseball history. But his actual managerial skills? Questionable at best. Brenly made baffling decisions (like benching Reggie Sanders in the playoffs) and was saved time and time again by his legendary pitching duo.
14. Mike Matheny – St. Louis Cardinals/Kansas City Royals
Matheny inherited a championship-caliber Cardinals team from Tony La Russa and immediately enjoyed success. But was it really him, or was it just the natural momentum of a deep, talented team? His tenure with the Royals suggests it was the latter, as Kansas City never looked competitive under his leadership.
13. Ozzie Guillén – Chicago White Sox
Guillén’s fiery personality made him a media darling, but let’s be real: the 2005 White Sox were a ridiculously good squad. With an elite rotation and a rock-solid bullpen, the team barely needed managing. After leaving Chicago, Guillén’s stint in Miami showed he wasn’t exactly a managerial mastermind.
12. Jim Leyland – Detroit Tigers
Leyland is a beloved figure in baseball, but his Tigers teams often underachieved despite having star-studded rosters. When you’ve got Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander, and Max Scherzer and still can’t win it all, questions have to be asked.
11. Dusty Baker – Various Teams
Yes, Dusty finally got his ring with Houston, but let’s not forget his history of mismanaging pitching staffs. Mark Prior and Kerry Wood’s arms might still be recovering from their time under him. For years, Baker had loaded teams that couldn’t quite get over the hump, making it hard to say he was ever the reason for their success.
10. Terry Collins – New York Mets
Collins took the Mets to the World Series in 2015, but with that rotation—Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz, and Bartolo Colon—who wouldn’t have? He was more of a spectator to an incredible pitching staff than an actual difference-maker.
9. Charlie Manuel – Philadelphia Phillies
Manuel was the manager when the Phillies won the 2008 World Series, but was he truly the driving force? With Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and Cole Hamels leading the charge, Manuel mostly had to stay out of the way.
8. Walt Alston – Los Angeles Dodgers
Alston managed the Dodgers for over two decades, winning multiple championships. But when you have Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, and Jackie Robinson at various points in your tenure, it’s hard to give too much credit to the guy filling out the lineup card.
7. Tom Kelly – Minnesota Twins
Kelly won two World Series titles, but it’s easy to look good when you have Kirby Puckett, Frank Viola, and Jack Morris stepping up in clutch moments. His later years with the Twins—when the talent pool dried up—showed he wasn’t exactly a miracle worker.
6. Joe Maddon – Tampa Bay Rays/Chicago Cubs
Maddon is often praised as a genius, but his quirky strategies sometimes did more harm than good (see: overmanaging the Cubs’ bullpen in the 2016 World Series). He benefitted greatly from rosters stacked with young talent, and his magic wore off quickly in Los Angeles.
5. Cito Gaston – Toronto Blue Jays
Gaston was at the helm for the Blue Jays’ back-to-back World Series wins in 1992 and 1993, but let’s not pretend he was the reason. Toronto had an absolute juggernaut, with guys like Roberto Alomar, Joe Carter, and a deep pitching staff.
4. Casey Stengel – New York Yankees
Stengel’s Yankees won seven World Series titles, but come on—those teams were loaded with Hall of Famers like Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Whitey Ford. The Yankees could have put a mannequin in the dugout, and they still would’ve won most of those championships.
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3. Joe Torre – New York Yankees
Speaking of Yankees managers who had it easy… Torre’s success came from having a near-unlimited payroll and a roster stacked with future Hall of Famers. He was great at managing egos, but it’s hard to give him too much credit when you’ve got Jeter, Rivera, and Clemens on speed dial.
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2. Tony La Russa – Various Teams
La Russa is often hailed as a genius, but his teams were frequently loaded with talent, and he wasn’t exactly a progressive thinker. His return to the White Sox in 2021 was a disaster, exposing his outdated managerial style.
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1. Bruce Bochy – San Francisco Giants
Bochy gets a ton of credit for the Giants’ three World Series titles in five years, but those teams were all about pitching. Madison Bumgarner’s legendary postseason performances made Bochy look like a mastermind, when in reality, he just had the luxury of elite arms carrying the load.
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