It’s award season for The Sporting News.
They named their All-Star team, their managers of the year, and their MLB Player of the Year on Thursday.
Now, it’s time to recognize the men beyond the field, those who work tirelessly at the office to make sure their team has a competitive roster.
This season, it’s hard to think of a better executive than the Cleveland Guardians‘ Chris Antonetti.
It’s not a secret that Guardians ownership doesn’t really spend too much on the roster; but this year, Antonetti led a successful playoff run with a payroll around $80 million.
“We’re so lucky to have CA. Chris Antonetti has been named the Sporting News Executive of the Year!” the team tweeted.
We're so lucky to have CA.
Chris Antonetti has been named the Sporting News Executive of the Year!#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/VoDpwf6jbd
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) October 27, 2022
A Long List Of Accomplishments
Antonetti, the Guardians’ president of baseball operations, managed to extend franchise player Jose Ramirez to a team-friendly contract, fostered a winning culture, and brought up many impact minor leaguers like Oscar Gonzalez, Steven Kwan, Gabriel Arias, Owen Miller, Will Brennan, Cody Morris, and many more.
Behind Antonetti, manager Terry Francona and his excellent coaches, the Guardians finished the regular season with 92 wins and an 11-game advantage in the AL Central race.
It was close at some point in September, but the team caught fire in September and didn’t really look back.
Then, the Guards eliminated the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Wild Card round and took the New York Yankees to the maximum of five games in the AL Division Series.
Next up on his to-do list should be a Shane Bieber extension and making sure the young players who took a step forward this year, such as Andres Gimenez, Triston McKenzie, Josh Naylor, Amed Rosario and others, have the tools to keep improving.
NEXT: Young Guardians Ace Is Ready To Try Out A New Career