Padres' Craig Stammen Named Frontrunner for Major Award

Oftentimes, first-year managers tend to struggle in finding their footing in the big leagues, mainly due to the experience needed to find success.

However, for the San Diego Padres, manager Craig Stammen has been excellent so far in his first run in the big leagues.

Stammen has helped the Padres exceed expectations thus far, with the team staying competitive in the National League despite the odds going against them.

When Stammen was first hired over the offseason, the move was questioned around the league, mainly due to his lack of experience and the team's goal to win a title. But Stammen has proved people wrong so far, and anyone who doubted the signing has now been silent.

The Padres have dealt with multiple pitching injuries in the starting rotation, while also seeing major slumps from star players at the plate. But Stammen has been able to keep the team level-headed throughout the year so far, and it has helped earn him a spot as the frontrunner for the Manager of the Year award.

ESPN's Bradford Doolittle looked at the rankings for the award, with Stammen coming in first at this point in the year.

"San Diego was expected to be a playoff contender, so Stammen gets credit for meeting that expectation, but not as much as Marmol, whose Cardinals have overachieved. However, San Diego is 15-6 in games decided by one or two runs, and no NL team is on track to outperform its run differential by a larger margin," Doolittle wrote.

Having a solid record in close games can be directly attributed to how the manager navigates situations, and Stammen has passed the test so far. The former MLB pitcher has been able to push the right buttons this year, and it has the Padres thinking about the postseason.

The big problem for the Padres is that the offense hasn't lived up to expectations, and this could end up holding them back. San Diego is racing against history with how poorly the offense has been, but Stammen has been trying to help players figure things out.

But through the struggles at the plate, Stammen's ability to help guide stars Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado has been apparent. Both players have slumped this year, but Stammen's leadership has kept them working, with the team staying positive throughout the season.

It helps that San Diego has been able to win games in spite of the issues from the two stars, but this team seems to believe in itself. There is a lot of talent across the board of the roster, and Stammen has been the maestro within it all.

If the Padres can continue to overperform as they have, the award could be Stammen's to lose. But this team will need to stay consistent, and getting to the postseason will be one of the bigger factors that determine how the race ultimately plays out.

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