Will Venable inherited a dumpster fire in Chicago but just two years after being handed the reigns of the White Sox, the 43-year-old was named Sporting News AL Manager of the year.From the moment Venable arrived, a culture shift began to take shape as the White Sox started promoting their talented young prospects. Although Chicago finished his first season at the helm with a 60-102 record, the foundation for a turnaround was beginning to emerge. The White Sox won 28 of their final 65 games in 2025, improving their winning percentage by .101 in the second half of the season.Despite a 6-13 start to the 2026 campaign, the White Sox turned their season around, going 78-65 the rest of the way to finish with 84 wins. That marked the most wins in MLB history by a team coming off three consecutive 100-loss seasons. Chicago also became just the third team in MLB history to reach the postseason following a 100-loss campaign.The turnaround marked a significant milestone for the franchise, which reached the playoffs for just the 12th time in its history. It also nearly doubled Chicago’s win total from 2024, when the White Sox won just 41 games in the season before Venable’s arrival.It all starts with the culture that Venable established in Spring Training. From the beginning, Venable emphasized doing the little things right and finding multiple ways to win. At the same time, he gave his players the freedom to be themselves, allowing their personalities to come through. That balance helped keep the dugout lively and injected energy into a young team, even during the dog days of the season. More importantly, Venable clearly earned the respect of his players. Regardless of the score, the White Sox continued to play with urgency, running hard down the line and refusing to give away outs — a level of effort that wasn’t always present on Chicago’s last playoff team in 2021.Anyone who followed the White Sox throughout the 2026 season had plenty of reasons to grow frustrated with Venable’s frequent use of openers and his reliance on matchup-based decisions.But while the 2026 roster was far more talented than the previous year’s club, it was far from a complete team. Venable’s creative bullpen management and willingness to lean on platoons and favorable matchups helped mask some of the roster’s biggest flaws. Venable ranked third in MLB in pinch hitters used per game and fourth in pinch runners, underscoring his willingness to make aggressive, matchup-driven moves throughout the season.Even after a lackluster trade deadline, Venable continued to find ways to compensate for a starting rotation that lacked depth. He helped guid the White Sox to a sweep of Houston in the Wild Card Series and pushed Cleveland to the brink in the ALDS before Chicago’s season ultimately ended in five games.Venable’s in-game decisions were on full display during the Wild Card series. He used an opener strategy to help limit Houston’s offense, with four relievers combining to allow just four hits in a 6-3 Game 1 win while holding Yordan Alvarez to 1-for-8 across the series. He also prioritized late-inning defense by inserting Brenton Doyle in the outfield and manufactured runs through a seventh-inning bunt and an aggressive double steal in Game 2 that set up Chase Meidroth’s decisive three-run homer.Venable is now just the sixth White Sox manager to win the award, and the first since Ozzie Guillén in 2005.
Will Venable’s White Sox Turnaround Earns Him AL Manager of the Year
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