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MLB managers with the most wins
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MLB managers with the most wins

A baseball manager has a lot of responsibility. The decisions that they make will change the outcome of a game. In this list, we're going to honor the managers who won the most games. Since baseball is America's oldest sport, a few of them on this list will be from the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and even further back. All win totals were recorded using Baseball Reference and current through the end of the 2022 MLB season.

 
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1. Connie Mack

Connie Mack
Wins: 3,731. Interim Archives-Contributor-Getty Images

One of the greatest managers of all time, Mack spent 50 seasons with the Philadelphia Athletics. He won five World Series and nine pennants. No one has come close to breaking his wins record. He was all about what was best for his players and he wanted to get the best out of them. He coached past his prime but he's still the greatest. Mack passed away in 1956 and he rests in Cooperstown where he belongs. 

 
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2. Tony La Russa

Tony La Russa
Wins: 2,884. Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

La Russa won one ring with the Athletics and two with the St. Louis Cardinals. He also won four MLB Manager of the Year awards. He coached great players like Mark McGwire, Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina, among many others. 

 
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3. John McGraw

John McGraw
Wins: 2,763. Transcendental Graphics-Contributor-Getty Images

McGraw coached the New York Giants before the franchise relocated to San Francisco. He started out as a player-manager and ended up managing the team long after his playing career was over. In his 31 seasons as Giants manager, they won three World Series and 10 pennants. 

 
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4. Bobby Cox

Bobby Cox
Wins: 2,504. Focus On Sport-Contributor-Getty Images

Cox coached the Toronto Blue Jays and the Atlanta Braves, spending 25 years with the latter. He was an excellent manager, winning five pennants and four manager of the year awards. In 1995, he led the Braves to their first World Series win. He'll always be remembered for that incredible playoff run in Atlanta. 

 
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5. Joe Torre

Joe Torre
Wins: 2,326. MediaNews Group-Pasadena Star-News-Getty Images-Contributor

Torre coached the New York Mets, Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals before finding success with the New York Yankees. He won four World Series in the Big Apple. He always had the Yankees contending for a pennant. He coached greats like Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Tino Martinez.

 
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6. Sparky Anderson

Sparky Anderson
Wins: 2,194. Enquirer file, Cincinnati Enquirer via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Anderson was at the helm of the Cincinnati Reds during their Big Red Machine era of the 1970s. He won two World Series and four pennants with the Reds. The two-time manager of the year took the Reds and turned them into the best team in baseball at the time. After his time with the Reds, he managed the Detroit Tigers and won another ring in 1984. 

 
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7. Bucky Harris

Bucky Harris
Wins: 2,158. Bettmann-Contributor-Getty Images

Harris began his managerial career with the Washington Senators. He won the World Series in his rookie year as a player-manager in 1924 and almost went back-to-back the following year. He won the World Series again with the Yankees in 1947. He also coached the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies before retiring. 

 
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8. Joe McCarthy

Joe McCarthy
Wins: 2,125. Chicago History Museum-Contributor-Getty Images

McCarthy coached the Chicago Cubs, Yankees and Red Sox. He won seven World Series with the Yankees. He coached Yankee legends like Joe DiMaggio, Red Ruffing, Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1957. 

 
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9. Dusty Baker

Dusty Baker
Wins: 2,093. Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Baker was a great player before he was a coach. The two-time All-Star won the World Series with the L.A. Dodgers in 1981. He also won two Silver Sluggers. 

As a manager, Baker won a pennant with the Giants in 2002 and lost the World Series. In 2003, he took the Chicago Cubs to the NLCS and they lost because of the Steve Bartman fan interference controversy. After stints with the Reds and Washington Nationals, he became the coach of the infamous Houston Astros, leading them to a pennant in 2021. In his 25th season as a manager, he finally won his first ring with the Astros in the 2022 World Series. I guess the third time really is the charm. 

 
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10. Walter Alston

Walter Alston
Wins: 2,040. Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Alston's entire managerial career was with the Dodgers, starting in Brooklyn and through their move to Los Angeles. He carried on the Dodgers' winning tradition and led them to seven pennants and four World Series victories. He helped Dodgers players like Sandy Koufax and Willie Davis become legends. 

 
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11. Leo Durocher

Leo Durocher
Wins: 2,008. Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY Sports

Durocher was a player-manager with the Dodgers. Towards the end of his run there, he coached Jackie Robinson. He went to the Giants and won a pennant in 1951 and won the World Series in 1954. Durocher finished his career by coaching the Cubs and Astros. 

 
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12. Bruce Bochy

Bruce Bochy
Wins: 2,003. Ben Ludeman-Texas Rangers-Contributor-Getty Images

Bochy won a pennant with the San Diego Padres in 1998. When he was hired as manager of the San Francisco Giants, Bochy built a dynasty. The Giants won it all in 2010, 2012 and 2014. He even got to coach his kid, Brett Bochy, for two seasons. Now that's the dream: coaching your kid in the MLB. 

 
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13. Casey Stengel

Casey Stengel
Wins: 1,905. Bettmann-Contributor-Getty Images

"The Old Perfessor" began his career as a manager with the Dodgers and Boston Braves. He's most famous for being the Yankees' manager during their dynasty in the 1950s. Stengel led them to seven World Series wins. He helped players like Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra and Hank Bauer become superstars. 

 
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14. Gene Mauch

Gene Mauch
Wins: 1,902. Focus On Sport-Contributor-Getty Images

Mauch coached four teams over the span of his 25 years as a manager. He only made the playoffs twice in 1982 and 1986, leading the California Angels to the ALCS and losing in heartbreaking fashion on both occasions. But make no mistake, Mauch was an excellent manager. 

 
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15. Bill McKechnie

Bill McKechnie
Wins: 1,896. Enquirer File, Cincinnati Enquirer via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Mckechnie won the Pittsburgh Pirates their second World Series in 1925. He went back to the World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals but lost in 1928. He won his last ring with the Reds in 1940 after losing the Series in 1939 with Cincinnati.

 
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16. Terry Francona

Terry Francona
Wins: 1,874. Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

The city of Boston will always hold a special place in their heart for Francona. He broke the Curse of the Bambino and famously won the Red Sox their first World Series in nearly a century in 2004. He won another World Series with the Red Sox in 2007. After his time in Boston, he coached the Cleveland Indians and led them to a pennant in 2016, where they lost to the Chicago Cubs in the World Series. Right now, he's the current coach of the Cleveland Guardians and is a future Hall of Famer. 

 
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17. Lou Piniella

Lou Piniella
Wins: 1,835. Bettmann-Contributor-Getty Images

Piniella fizzled out with the Yankees but won it all with the Reds in 1990. He coached the Seattle Mariners and he took them to the ALCS three times. "Sweet Lou" also coached the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cubs. 

 
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18. Jim Leyland

Jim Leyland
Wins: 1,769. Ron Vesely-Contributor-Getty Images

Leyland was the head coach of the Pirates for 11 seasons, leading them to three NLCS appearances. When his time with the Pirates was up, he led the Florida Marlins to their first World Series win in 1997. He also took the Tigers to two pennants (2006 and 2012) but he couldn't get the job done. Leyland is the rare manager who wins everywhere he goes. 

 
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19. Buck Showalter

Buck Showalter
Wins: 1,652. Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

After a stint with the Yankees, Showalter managed the Arizona Diamondbacks. He left in 2000, one year before they won it all in 2001. The four-time manager of the year also managed the Texas Rangers and even the Baltimore Orioles for nine years, leading them to the ALCS in 2014. He's now the coach of the New York Mets and he has them heading in the right direction. 

 
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20. Mike Scioscia

Mike Scioscia
Wins: 1,650. Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

As a player, Scioscia won two World Series with the Dodgers. 

As a coach, he led the Anaheim Angels to their first World Series win in 2002. The longtime manager spent 19 years with the Angels and finally hung it up in 2018. 

 
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21. Ralph Houk

Ralph Houk
Wins: 1,619. Larry C. Morris-Contributor-Getty Images

In Houk's first three years as a manager, he won back-to-back World Series (1961, 1962) and a pennant in 1963. He stayed with the Yankees until 1973. He coached the Tigers and Red Sox to cap off his career.

 
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22. Fred Clarke

Fred Clarke
Wins: 1,602. Chicago History Museum-Contributor-Getty Images

Clarke won the Pirates their first World Series in 1909. What made this victory so sweet was that Clarke led the Pirates to three pennants in 1901, 1902 and 1903. He was a player-manager for the bulk of his career and he led the Pirates during one of their best eras.

 
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23. Tommy Lasorda

Tommy Lasorda
Wins: 1,599. RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

Lasorda was a legendary coach with the Dodgers. He won four pennants and two World Series (1981, 1988). After 21 years in the dugout, he retired in 1996 and was immediately inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997. His team's reaction to Kirk Gibson's home run in the 1988 World Series looks straight out of a movie. 

 
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24. Dıck Williams

Dıck Williams
Wins: 1,571. Bettmann-Contributor-Getty Images

Williams went back-to-back with the A's in 1972 and 1973. He led the Boston Red Sox to a pennant in 1967 in his first year as their coach. He also led the San Diego Padres to a pennant in 1984 and retired with the Mariners in 1988.

 
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25. Clark Griffith

Clark Griffith
Wins: 1,491. The Stanley Weston Archive-Contributor-Getty Images

Griffith won a pennant with the Chicago White Sox in 1901 as a player-manager, a role he held for most of his career. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1946. 

David J. Hunt is a freelance writer based out of Philadelphia. He ran cross country at Penn State, became a volunteer firefighter during COVID-19, and is a self taught journalist. He's a diehard Philly sports fan. When he isn't watching sports, he enjoys working out, fishing, and traveling. You can find more of his writing at The Chestnut Hill Local and The Temple News. You can follow him on Twitter at @dave_hunt44.

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