If we talk about early predictions for AL manager of the year, John Schneider will surely be one of the favorites. The Toronto Blue Jays are on course to be crowned the AL East champions for the first time in 10 years. This is the same Toronto side that hugely disappointed last season, winning just 74 games in the regular season. Few expected them to compete for their division crown, let alone the conference title. And Schneider has deservedly received a lot of plaudits for this turnaround, but as per one analyst, he has got tough competition for the crown of the best manager.

MLB insider Ken Rosenthal has made his pick for the AL Manager of the Year, and it’s not John Schnieider. Instead, he chose Joe Espada of the Houston Astros. Why? “American League Manager of the Year is fascinating. To me, Joe Espada should be the frontrunner for all that the Astros have dealt with this season,” Rosenthal said on ‘Foul Territory’ on Friday. “But you can make a case for John Schneider. You can make a case for Alex Cora if they get there. You certainly can make a case for Steven Vogt as well. Maybe even Dan Wilson in Seattle.”

The major reason is the number of injuries the Astros have faced. Up until last Monday, Houston players had spent a collective 2,198 days on the injured list. That’s the second-highest total in the majors behind only the Dodgers (2,368)!

What’s remarkable is that despite losing big names like Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Pena, and Isaac Paredes, the Astros still managed to hold first place in the AL East for much of the season. And they are in good shape to chase their ninth straight playoff berth. Moreover, according to FanGraphs, the Astros have lost more WAR than any other team, with 17.6 WAR sidelined. That is an impressive 2.4 more than the next-closest playoff contender. Therefore, Joe Espada being mentioned in the same bracket as John Schneider is completely justified.

Although the Blue Jays have enjoyed an almost flawless campaign this season, things have not been going their way in their last few matches.

Will the Blue Jays’ recent stumbles affect John Schneider’s MOTY chances?

John Schneider is one of the front-runners to win the AL Manager of the Year title in 2025 because of how the Blue Jays have performed throughout the year. But one quick look at their recent results, and you will know things are going south. With a comfortable 6-game difference with the second-place Yankees at one point in time, the Blue Jays are just 3 games ahead of the Bombers.

After back-to-back losses to the Rays, the Blue Jays let a prime chance to pull further ahead in the AL East slip away. It was expected that Schneider would get his division title in the series against Tampa Bay. But Thursday’s 4-0 loss, paired with a Yankees win later that night, made things difficult. That likely pushes any division-clinching celebration into next week.

Yes, the Astros are dealing with their own tough fight against the Mariners. But for John Schneider, the real concern is avoiding a late collapse. Letting the division title slip away now could seriously hurt his standing in the Manager of the Year conversation.