Chicago Cubs Boss Well-Positioned for Elusive Postseason Award

Chicago Cubs Manager Craig Counsell had an underwhelming first year with the team. Can he finally bring home the top award for managers behind an improved roster?

Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs made Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in history during the 2023 offseason. Counsell's first year with the Cubs came with an 83-79 record, the exact mark David Ross finished with in his final run with the team. That transition was not a clean one, as Chicago hired Counsell before officially parting ways with Ross.

Counsell had been the rival Milwaukee Brewers manager since 2016. He finished as the longest tenured manager the Brewers ever had, and his 707 victories are the most in franchise history.

Counsell's final season in Milwaukee came with a 92-70 record and a NL wild card Round loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was not let go after that postseason defeat, he instead elected to sign elsewhere after the final year of his deal. That decision was not unexpected, but taking over rival Chicago was.

The Brewers later promoted Counsell's long-time bench coach, Pat Murphy, to the big job in Milwaukee. Murphy went on to win the National League Manager of the Year award during his first season running the team. The Brewers went 93-69, with a Wild Card Round loss to the New York Mets.

If we're looking at just the 2024 campaign, these managerial changes had little to no impact on either team's success on the field. Despite that, Murphy won the top honor given to managers, something that Counsell has yet to bring home.

Often times the manager of the year award is given to a skipper whose team has significantly more regular season success than the previous year. For instance, when Buck Showalter won in 2022 with the New York Mets, he took over a team that went 77-85 the previous year. The Mets made the playoffs in Showalter's first year behind a 101-61 record.

The other manager of the year winner in 2024, Cleveland Guardians honcho Stephen Vogt, had a similar path. Vogt took over a Cleveland team that went 76-88 in 2023, then finished 92-69 last season.

In his second season Counsell's Cubs are in an excellent position to take a leap. They added difference maker Kyle Tucker to the heart of their order. Premium prospect Matt Shaw is expected to be in the mix for the National League Rookie of the Year. Veteran Ryan Pressly was brought in to serve as the team's new closer.

Chicago was already a competitive team in play for the National League Central crown. Heading towards opening day they have a better roster on top of their already solid foundation. If everything goes according to plan, the Cubs will make the playoffs for the first time since 2020. If they accomplish that goal, maybe Counsell brings home his first Manager of the Year award.