Joe Maddon Wins NL Manager of the Year Nod

The Baseball Writers’ Association of America awarded Joe Maddon its NL Manager of the Year nod.

Maddon inherited a last-place Chicago Cubs when Theo Epstein hired him. He led the franchise to its first playoff berth since 2008. The team finished 24 games better than they did in 2014. The Cubs beat the Pirates in the wildcard before besting the Cardinals 3-1 in the NLDS. But they ran into a hot New York Mets in the NLCS and lost the series in four games.

Maddon joins Bobby Cox, Tony La Russa, Lou Piniella, Jim Leyland, Bob Melvin, and Davey Johnson as managers who won the award leading teams in both leagues. The award makes it three total for Maddon, who won AL Manager of the Year at the helm of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008 and 2011.

Maddon received 18 first-place votes. St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny snagged nine first-place votes and Terry Collins of the Mets earned three.