Red Sox’ Alex Cora finishes 5th in American League Manager of the Year voting

Red Sox manager Alex Cora finished fifth in American League Manager of the Year voting on Tuesday night, as revealed by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on MLB Network.

Cora received one first-place vote, three second-place votes, and two third-place votes to finish with the fifth-highest point total (16) among those who were considered.

Rays manager Kevin Cash, a former teammate of Cora’s in Boston, ultimately took home A.L. Manager of the Year honors, making him the first manager to win the award in back-to-back seasons since Bobby Cox did so with the Braves in 2004 and 2005.

In total, Cash received 19 of 30 total first-place votes and 109 voting points to finish ahead of the likes of Mariners manager Scott Servais (71 points), Astros manager Dusty Baker (33 points), Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo (23 points), Cora (16 points), White Sox manager Tony La Russa (15 points), and Tigers manager A.J. Hinch (3 points).

Of those BBWAA members who put Cora on their ballots, the New York Post’s Ken Davidoff was the one who gave him that first-place vote. MLB.com’s Ian Browne, the Bergen Record’s Pete Caldera, and the Associated Press’ Mark Didtler issued him second-place votes, while MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo the Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington penciled him in as their third-place finisher.

This now marks the second time in which the Puerto Rican national has appeared on American League Manager of the Year ballots after finishing as the runner-up behind only then-Athletics skipper Bob Melvin in 2018.

Since first being named Red Sox manager in November 2017, Cora has led Boston to a 284-202 record spanning three winning seasons, two postseason appearances, and one World Series title three years ago.

After serving a one-year suspension for his role in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal as Houston’s bench coach in 2017, the 46-year-old returned to the Sox this past season and oversaw a resurgent team that won 92 games, topped the Yankees in the American League Wild Card Game, and was just two wins shy of another trip to the Fall Classic.