There’s not much to say about Joe Maddon that hasn’t been said time and again.
Seemingly adored by every coach, colleague, manger, player and fan, Joe Maddon is the real deal. He has won the Manager of the Year award three times now (twice with the Rays – 2008, 2011 – and once with the Cubs – 2015), and should reach 1000 wins within the next two seasons – unless the Cubs go totally wonkers in 2016 and win 122 games.
Still, when he’s honored, he’s honored.
So, I’m here today to share that yet another publication has officially recognized Joe Maddon and the unique value he provides. According to the Boston Globe, Joe Maddon is the best active manager in baseball.
[adinserter block=”1″]Combining the the opinions of multiple players, managers, GMs, coaches, scouts and other front office personnel, the Boston Globe compiled a comprehensive ranking of all 30 major league managers, with Joe Maddon sitting comfortably at the top.
Nick Cafardo, who wrote the accompanying article, cites Maddon’s track record with both the Cubs and Rays, as well as last year’s success as a big part of the ranking. More importantly, Cafardo credits Maddon as one of the first managers to truly integrate analytics into his managing style.
Immediately following Maddon on the list is Bruce Bochy (Giants), Buck Showalter (Orioles), Terry Francona (Indians) and Joe Girardi (Yankees). The rest of the NL Central is spread out, though, with the Clint Hurdle (6) ahead of the Mike Matheny (9), Craig Counsell (25) and Bryan “How does that help the Reds” Price (26).
It’s a nice honor for Joe Maddon, and the Cubs are lucky to have him. You knew that.