Jayson Stark tabs Orioles' Brandon Hyde Manager of the Year over Guardians' Terry Francona

For a piece published Monday, The Athletic's Jayson Stark named Baltimore's Brandon Hyde and Cleveland's Terry Francona as his top candidates to earn American League Manager of the Year honors. Stark explained why he selected Hyde to win the award over Francona. 

"Baseball Prospectus’ PECOTA system projected the Orioles to go 61-101," Stark wrote. "Dan Szymborski’s ZIPS system projected 64-98. I don’t know anyone in baseball who saw them this spring who didn’t expect their loss total to be measured in triple digits. And they’re going to finish with a winning record. Unreal." 

Stark continued: 

"The Orioles are 19th in the big leagues in runs scored, 17th in OPS, 18th in ERA, 21st in starting pitching ERA and even worse in all of the expected pitching metrics. Their bullpen is great. But defensively, they’re 19th in Outs Above Average. So what about that says: This team almost made the playoffs!" 

Stark also added: 

"No team since the 1899 St. Louis Perfectos had ever lost 110 games one year and finished .500 or better the next. Not. One." 

Understandably, not everybody agrees with Stark's argument. Just last week, Forbes contributor Jim Ingraham called Francona the "presumed Manager of the Year" for 2022. The 63-year-old has won that award twice -- in 2013 and 2016 -- during his Cleveland tenure that began in 2013.