AL and NL Manager of the Year Finalists Revealed

Now that the MLB season has officially ended with the Washington Nationals taking home the ultimate prize, it's award season.

BBWAA is slowly trickling the award finalists on Monday night, with both the AL and NL manager of the year candidates being the first revealed.

For the American League, two AL East powers in the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays are represented by Aaron Boone and Kevin Cash respectively. Meanwhile, Rocco Baldelli, skipper of the surprisingly effective Minnesota Twins, which featured one of the best lineups in all of baseball, could also get the nod.

Considering the obstacles in his path, Boone might very well be the favorite, especially due to the numerous injuries the Yankees dealt with during their AL East-winning campaign.

In the NL, Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez was a notable omission from the list. Craig Counsell, who managed to lead the Brewers to the postseason in spite of the loss of Ryan Braun for the season, is a respectable choice.

As for Brian Snitker and Mike Shildt, the two division-winning skippers were predictable choices given how their squads improved throughout the season. NL manager of the year is a true toss-up if there ever was one.

Both award winners will be announced on Nov. 12.