Starting in the American League, Twins’ Rocco Baldelli won the Manager of the Year Award after leading the Twins to 100+ wins in his first season as skipper.
Baldelli received 106 voting points (13 first place votes, 13 seconds, 2 third) and edged out Yankee’s manager Aaron Boone who finished with 96 voting points (13 first place votes, 9 second, 4 third).
Baldelli and the Twins got off to the hottest start in baseball, were the first team to 40 wins, set the Major League record for single-season home runs by a single team, and took Minnesota to 100 wins for the first time since 1965.
Baldelli and company were eventually eliminated from the playoffs when they ran into the Yankees, and continued their inability to get past the Bronx Bombers in October.
Over in the National League, Mike Shildt brought home the hardware after winning out in a fierce field of competition. Shildt received less first place votes than Milwaukee’s Craig Counsell, but received more overall voting points, edging out Counsell by seven (95-88).
Shildt finished up his second year in St. Louis as manager, and his first full season. He took the Cardinals back to the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
Shildt took the Cards to the NLCS, where they were shutdown by the eventual World Champion Washington Nationals.
