The Kansas City Royals and Manager Matt Quatraro agreed to a contract extension earlier this offseason. The Royals clearly believe in Quatraro and are hopeful he can help Kansas City emerge as a true contender in the American League. Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt has won the AL Manager of the Year Award in each of the past two years, but can Quatraro enter the conversation as a candidate to win the award this season?

In order to become the Manager of the Year, a number of factors are considered. Of course, manager performance is important, but winning is what sets the contenders from the pretenders apart. If the best manager in baseball happens to be coaching a losing team, he probably won't win the award that season. 

The award isn't given to the best team's manager every season, though. Vogt's Guardians surprised the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central in 2025 with a scorching hot end to the campaign. Cleveland ultimately won the division as Vogt pressed many of the right buttons. 

Cleveland did not have the best record in the division, but Vogt's performance and the Guardians' resilience led to his second consecutive award.

The Royals may end up doing something similar in 2026. Kansas City has built a quality core of players with Bobby Witt Jr. leading the way. Meanwhile, Cole Ragans is set to lead the starting rotation.

The Royals probably won't compete for the best record in baseball. However, the idea of Kansas City sneaking into a Wild Card spot or even winning the AL Central is not out of the question. If the Royals are able to perform at a respectable level and clinch a postseason spot, Quatraro could end up being an AL Manager of the Year finalist. 

Of course, his overall individual performance will be taken into consideration. Exceeding preseason expectations will help his case in a pivotal manner, however. Leadership is also an important factor to consider. 

The Royals' status as a sleeper contender makes Quatraro an enticing potential candidate to win the award in 2026. Vogt isn't going anywhere and the AL features plenty of other great managers, but Matt Quatraro could make some noise in the voting during the '26 campaign. If Kansas City does end up making the playoffs, it would not be surprising to see Quatraro at least finish as a finalist for the AL Manager of the Year Award.