Last season, Scott Servais managed a Mariners team without the likes of Robbie Ray, Luis Castillo and Julio Rodríguez to a 90 win season. It was a year that served as the foundation for what is shaping up to be a campaign Mariners fans have long dreamed of—the one that finally ends the organization's 20-year postseason drought.
A lot of the blueprint for success is the same and Servais is a big part of it. His decisions in managing a great bullpen and growing a winning culture have a huge impact on what this team has accomplished.
Servais lost out on Manager of the Year to Rays manager Kevin Cash in 2021. Cash managed the Rays to an excellent season last year, but inarguably had a much better roster than Servais did.
Although many are clamoring for Orioles manager Brandon Hyde to win the award, Baltimore will likely miss the postseason just as Seattle did last year. If Servais didn’t win last year, it makes almost no sense for the voters to choose Hyde.
Servais has taken a team who started 29-39 and completely flipped the season on its head. From 10 games below .500, the Mariners have risen from the depths to an astonishing 18 games over .500 with 27 to play.
The 55-year old Mariners skipper has stood up for his team all season, even getting to the bottom of a dogpile in a brawl with the Angels. He is beloved by his players for the freedom and ability to be themselves he provides.
Servais has taken an imperfect and injured team that has seen essentially no offense at times, and effectively managed a pitching staff that is one of the best in the entire league.
President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto certainly deserves credit for the improvements he has made to move this roster in a better direction, but Servais has made an impact daily. Seattle has built a winning culture, something that just a few short years ago was nearly impossible to imagine.
Of course, Seattle can often get lost in the media shuffle, especially when it's pinned up against mainly East Coast markets. But this decision should be easy; Scott Servais is the American League Manager of the Year.
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