John Schneider, the Toronto Blue Jays manager, came in second place in the American League manager of the year race, with Stephen Vogt from Cleveland clinching the top spot as per the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Schneider led the Blue Jays to a remarkable season with 94 wins and secured the American League East Division title. The voting results were disclosed on Tuesday evening, with Schneider receiving 10 out of 30 first-place votes and a total of 91 points.
Vogt, who steered the Guardians to victory in the AL Central, garnered 17 first-place votes and 113 points. Dan Wilson of the Seattle Mariners was the other contender, securing two first-place votes and 50 points. This marks Vogt’s second consecutive win of the prestigious award. Meanwhile, Pat Murphy of the Milwaukee Brewers also retained his title for the National League accolade.
Under Schneider’s guidance, the Blue Jays significantly improved, winning 20 more games compared to their previous last-place finish in 2024. The team triumphed in two playoff rounds last month before succumbing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.
Notably, ballots were cast prior to the commencement of the postseason. Bobby Cox remains the sole Blue Jays manager to have clinched this award, achieving the feat in 1985. Schneider’s second-place finish marks the highest rank for a Toronto manager since Cito Gaston trailed behind Frank Robinson of Baltimore in 1989.
Schneider, who took over from Charlie Montoyo as the Blue Jays manager in July 2022, recently had his contract extended through the 2026 season. General manager Ross Atkins confirmed that extension talks were ongoing during his season-ending media briefing last week, praising Schneider as a standout leader within the organization.
Hailing from Princeton, N.J., the 45-year-old Schneider propelled Toronto to the wild-card series in his debut season as manager, although they were swept by the Seattle Mariners. Despite a subsequent sweep by the Minnesota Twins the following year and a disappointing 74-win season in 2024, the Blue Jays made a strong comeback in 2025, securing the East title via a tiebreaker against New York.
The team went on to triumph over the Yankees in the AL Division Series and the Mariners in the AL Championship Series. Although Toronto narrowly lost the Fall Classic to the Dodgers in an intense 5-4, 11-inning game, Schneider’s leadership was pivotal in the team’s resurgence.
Having dedicated over two decades to the Toronto franchise, Schneider’s journey began when he was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 13th round of the 2002 draft. After retiring as a player in 2007, he later joined Toronto as a catching instructor before gradually climbing the ranks within the organization.
Promoted to manage the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats in 2018, Schneider’s exceptional leadership saw him being named Eastern League manager of the year after guiding the team to a championship victory. Subsequently, he was elevated to the major-league coaching staff in 2019 and later assumed the role of bench coach in 2022.
As the 14th manager in Blue Jays history since the team’s inception in 1977, Schneider’s impact and dedication to the organization have been widely recognized and celebrated.