The Midwest League Manager of the Year Award is an annual award given to the best manager in Minor League Baseball's Midwest League based on their regular-season performance as voted on by league managers. Broadcasters, Minor League Baseball executives, and members of the media have previously voted as well. The award was created in the league's inaugural 1947 season. The circuit was known as the Illinois State League from 1947 to 1948 and as the Mississippi–Ohio Valley League from 1949 to 1955 before becoming the Midwest League in 1956. After the cancellation of the 2020 season, the league was known as the High-A Central in 2021 before reverting to the Midwest League name in 2022.

The only manager to win the award on three occasions is Mark Haley, who won in 2005, 2008, and 2013. Three others have each won twice: Bruce Fields, Gomer Hodge, and Buddy Kerr.

Seven managers from the and Wisconsin Timber Rattlers have been selected for the Manager of the Year Award, more than any other team in the league, followed by the Cedar Rapids Kernels and West Michigan Whitecaps (6); the Kane County Cougars and Waterloo Indians (5); the Great Lakes Loons, Quad Cities River Bandits, and South Bend Cubs (4); the Burlington Bees and Danville Warriors (3); the Clinton Giants, Kenosha Twins, Lansing Lugnuts, Michigan Battle Cats, Peoria Chiefs, and Wisconsin Rapids Twins (2); and the Belleville Stags, Beloit Sky Carp, Bowling Green Hot Rods, Decatur Commodores, Fort Wayne TinCaps, Lafayette Red Sox, Madison Muskies, Michigan City White Caps, Quincy Giants, Rockford Royals, Springfield Cardinals, and Wausau Timbers (1).

Seven managers from the Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball (MLB) organization have won the award, more than any other, followed by the Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, and Oakland Athletics organizations (5); the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Francisco Giants organizations (4); the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Guardians, Kansas City Royals, and St. Louis Cardinals organizations (3); the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Angels, Houston Astros, Miami Marlins, and Toronto Blue Jays organizations (2); and the San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays organizations (1). Two award winners played for teams that operated as cooperatives of several MLB organizations.

Winners

+KeyLeagueThe team's final position in the league standingsDivisionThe team's final position in the divisional standingsRecordThe team's wins and losses during the regular seasonNumber of wins by managers who won the award multiple times^Indicates multiple award winners in the same yearIndicates league champions

+WinnersYearWinnerTeamOrganizationLeagueDivisionRecord1947Belleville Stags*St. Louis Browns75–37194819491950195119521953195419551956Lafayette Red SoxBoston Red Sox69–5619571958 Michigan City White CapsSan Francisco Giants69–551959Decatur CommodoresDetroit Tigers63–611960Waterloo Hawks*Boston Red Sox81–431961 Quincy Giants*San Francisco Giants67–591962Appleton FoxesBaltimore Orioles61–631963Clinton C-Sox*Chicago White Sox83–4119641965Burlington Bees*Kansas City Athletics82–401966Burlington BeesKansas City Athletics77–481967Appleton Foxes*Chicago White Sox71–461968Cedar Rapids CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals63–531969Appleton Foxes*Chicago White Sox84–411970Danville WarriorsCo-op64–591971Appleton FoxesChicago White Sox79–441972Danville Warriors*Milwaukee Brewers73–521973Danville WarriorsMilwaukee Brewers66–571974Wisconsin Rapids TwinsMinnesota Twins80–481975Waterloo Royals*Kansas City Royals93–351976Cedar Rapids GiantsSan Francisco Giants78–531977Burlington Bees*Milwaukee Brewers71–681978^Appleton Foxes*Chicago White Sox97–40Waterloo IndiansCleveland Indians91–461979Wausau TimbersCo-op69–611980Wisconsin Rapids TwinsMinnesota Twins77–641981 Waterloo IndiansCleveland Indians81–551982Quad Cities CubsChicago Cubs79–601983 Waterloo IndiansCleveland Indians76–641984Beloit BrewersMilwaukee Brewers86–531985Kenosha Twins*Minnesota Twins76–601986Springfield CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals87–531987Kenosha Twins*Minnesota Twins82–581988Cedar Rapids Reds*Cincinnati Reds87–531989Cedar Rapids RedsCincinnati Reds80–571990Quad Cities Angels*California Angels81–591991Madison MuskiesOakland Athletics77–611992Appleton FoxesKansas City Royals70–621993Clinton GiantsSan Francisco Giants80–541994Rockford RoyalsKansas City Royals89–501995Michigan Battle CatsBoston Red Sox75–631996Peoria ChiefsSt. Louis Cardinals79–571997 West Michigan WhitecapsDetroit Tigers92–391998Michigan Battle CatsBoston Red Sox79–611999Kane County CougarsFlorida Marlins78–592000 West Michigan WhitecapsDetroit Tigers88–522001Kane County Cougars*Florida Marlins88–502002Cedar Rapids KernelsAnaheim Angels81–582003Kane County CougarsOakland Athletics80–592004Kane County CougarsOakland Athletics83–562005 South Bend Silver Hawks*Arizona Diamondbacks84–562006West Michigan Whitecaps*Detroit Tigers89–482007West Michigan Whitecaps*Detroit Tigers83–572008 South Bend Silver HawksArizona Diamondbacks76–632009^Fort Wayne TinCaps*San Diego Padres94–46Peoria ChiefsChicago Cubs81–572010Great Lakes LoonsLos Angeles Dodgers90–492011Lansing LugnutsToronto Blue Jays77–602012Lansing LugnutsToronto Blue Jays82–552013 South Bend Silver HawksArizona Diamondbacks81–582014Kane County Cougars*Chicago Cubs91–492015Quad Cities River BanditsHouston Astros88–502016South Bend CubsChicago Cubs84–552017West Michigan WhitecapsDetroit Tigers91–452018Bowling Green Hot Rods*Tampa Bay Rays90–492019Great Lakes LoonsLos Angeles Dodgers81–552020 2021Quad Cities River Bandits*Houston Astros77–412022Great Lakes LoonsLos Angeles Dodgers76–552023Cedar Rapids Kernels*Minnesota Twins82–502024Wisconsin Timber RattlersMilwaukee Brewers77–542025West Michigan Whitecaps*Detroit Tigers92–392026Great Lakes LoonsLos Angeles Dodgers75–54

Wins by team

Active Midwest League teams appear in bold.

Team Award(s) Year(s)Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Appleton Foxes)71962, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1978, 1992, 2024Cedar Rapids Kernels (Cedar Rapids Cardinals/Giants/Reds)61968, 1976, 1988, 1989, 2002, 2023West Michigan Whitecaps1997, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2017, 2025Kane County Cougars51999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014Waterloo Indians (Waterloo Hawks/Royals)1960, 1975, 1978, 1981, 1983Great Lakes Loons42010, 2019, 2022, 2026Quad Cities River Bandits (Quad Cities Cubs/Angels)1982, 1990, 2015, 2021South Bend Cubs (South Bend Silver Hawks)2005, 2008, 2013, 2016Burlington Bees31965, 1966, 1977Danville Warriors1970, 1972, 1973Clinton Giants (Clinton C-Sox)21963, 1993Kenosha Twins1985, 1987Lansing Lugnuts2011, 2012Michigan Battle Cats1995, 1998Peoria Chiefs1996, 2009Wisconsin Rapids Twins1974, 1980Belleville Stags11947Beloit Sky Carp (Beloit Brewers)1984Bowling Green Hot Rods2018Decatur Commodores1959Fort Wayne TinCaps2009Lafayette Red Sox1956Madison Muskies1991Michigan City White Caps1958Quincy Giants1961Rockford Royals1994Springfield Cardinals1986Wausau Timbers1979

Wins by organization

Active Midwest League–Major League Baseball affiliations appear in bold.

Organization Award(s) Year(s)Detroit Tigers71959, 1997, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2017, 2025Chicago White Sox51963, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1978Milwaukee Brewers1972, 1973, 1977, 1984, 2024Minnesota Twins1974, 1980, 1985, 1987, 2023Oakland Athletics (Kansas City Athletics)1965, 1966, 1991, 2003, 2004Boston Red Sox41956, 1960, 1995, 1998Chicago Cubs1982, 2009, 2014, 2016Los Angeles Dodgers2010, 2019, 2022, 2026San Francisco Giants1958, 1961 1976, 1993Arizona Diamondbacks32005, 2008, 2013Cleveland Guardians (Cleveland Indians)1978, 1981, 1983Kansas City Royals1975, 1992, 1994St. Louis Cardinals1968, 1986, 1996Baltimore Orioles (St. Louis Browns)21947, 1962Cincinnati Reds1988, 1989Los Angeles Angels (California/Anaheim Angels)1990, 2002Houston Astros2015, 2021Miami Marlins (Florida Marlins)1999, 2001Toronto Blue Jays2011, 2012San Diego Padres12009Tampa Bay Rays2018

Notes

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