Craig Albernaz predicted to win AL Manager of the Year

Baltimore's new skipper is drawing high expectations after an aggressive offseason.

Nov 4, 2025; Baltimore, MD, USA; Craig Albernaz is introduced as the new Baltimore Orioles manager at Warehouse Bar. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles are heading into the 2026 season looking to bounce back after a disappointing 2025 campaign in which they finished 75-87 and last in the American League East.

Baltimore will also begin the season with a new manager at the helm in Craig Albernaz, following Brandon Hyde's firing on May 17 and Tony Mansolino's stint as interim manager.

Albernaz spent the past two seasons with the Cleveland Guardians as associate manager under Stephen Vogt, and was a finalist for both the Chicago White Sox and Miami Marlins' managerial openings last year before opting to remain in Cleveland for another season. This offseason, however, Albernaz felt he was ready to dive in with what he viewed as an already talented Orioles roster.

That optimism has only increased with Baltimore's aggressive offseason. The Orioles signed two-time All-Star closer Ryan Helsley, traded for Taylor Ward and Shane Baz, and added Pete Alonso to an already deep lineup. As a result, Baltimore has been widely regarded as one of the biggest winners of the offseason, creating increased expectations heading into 2026.

Read More: ESPN expert predicts Baltimore Orioles will win World Series

Can Craig Albernaz win AL Manager of the Year?

In a January 2 article, MLB.com writer Anthony Castrovince predicted that Albernaz, in his first season as the Orioles' skipper, would win the American League Manager of the Year Award in his way-too-early 2026 awards predictions.

In a new year, let’s get new stuff wrong. https://t.co/zU6xhoyNnK

— Anthony Castrovince (@castrovince) January 3, 2026

"We’ll go back to the tradition of giving it to a skipper who leads a squad from the abyss to October," Castrovince wrote. "That’ll be Albernaz, a gifted dugout mind who was instrumental in helping the Guardians’ Stephen Vogt win this award in consecutive seasons."

"It only stands to reason that Vogt will now hand it off to his friend and former comrade, who is taking over a Baltimore squad that had too much talent to be as big a dud as it was in 2025, even before the Pete Alonso deal," he continued. "They won’t be AL East favorites, but they’ll have a reasonable shot at reaching the postseason, so they’re right in the sweet spot for this award."

Albernaz served as Vogt's right-hand man during both of his Manager of the Year campaigns in Cleveland (2024, 2025), and how he performs now that he is leading a different team will be a closely watched storyline for Orioles fans in 2026.

Read More: Shane Baz says Orioles' offseason moves send clear message

Baltimore's aggressiveness this offseason, both in their roster additions and in the hiring of Albernaz, indicate the organization is all-in on returning to contention and moving from the bottom of the division toward postseason relevance and potentially more.

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