MLB managers have historically been seasoned veterans who would bounce around the league, imparting their wisdom and be noticeably older than all their players.
Now, the league is in the midst of a youth movement in coaching. For the 2026 season, half the managers in the league are projected to be 50 years old or younger, with 11 of them 45 years old or younger. Several of the skippers were named managers with no prior experience at the big league level.
The Washington Nationals made history by announcing that 33-year-old Blake Butera would be the franchise’s next manager. Butera is not only the youngest active manager, but the youngest manager in the last 50 years.
Here is more on Butera’s hiring and how his age compares to other active managers in the league.
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1. Blake Butera, Nationals, 33
- Age at the end of the 2025 season: 33 years, 24 days
- Birthday: Aug. 7, 1992
- Experience: N/A
- Record: 0-0
Blake Butera was named as the Nationals next manager on Oct. 30, 2025. He took over for Dave Martinez, who had been the Washington manager since 2018 but was fired on July 6, 2025 after a 37-53 start to the 2025 season.
Butera has no major league managerial experience. He has served as a manager for the Hudson Valley Renegades and the Charleston RiverDogs minor league teams, as well as the bench coach for Team Italy in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
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2. Oliver Marmol, Cardinals, 39
- Age at the end of the 2025 season: 39 years, 121 days
- Birthday: July 2, 1986
- Experience: 4 seasons
- Record: 325-323
Oliver Marmol was hired by St. Louis in 2022 after former manager Mike Shildt was fired following a 90-72 2021 season due to “philosophical differences.” Marmol hadn’t been a manager until the Cardinals hired him, but he had been with the organization as an assistant since 2017. His best season so far was his first, as St. Louis finished 93-69 in 2022 and has been slowly rebuilding since.
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3. Stephen Vogt, Guardians, 40
- Age at the end of the 2025 season: 40 years, 364 days
- Birthday: Nov. 1, 1984
- Experience: 2 years
- Record: 180-143
Stephen Vogt played in the big leagues from 2012 to 2022, bouncing around the league. He played for six different franchises, but ironically none of them were in Cleveland. After Vogt’s playing career ended, he was an assistant coach with the Seattle Mariners before being named the Guardians manager ahead of the 2024 season.
Vogt has started his career hot with back-to-back AL Central titles and playoff berths, but he is still searching for his first World Series appearances as a coach.
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4. Kurt Suzuki, Angels, 42
- Age at the end of the 2025 season: 42 years, 26 days
- Birthday: Oct. 4, 1983
- Experience: N/A
- Record: 0-0
Kurt Suzuki was announced as the next Angels manager on Oct. 21, 2025, taking over for veteran head coach Ron Washington, who had been dealing with health issues. Suzuki played in MLB for 15 years, ending his career with the Angels. Once he hung up his cleats, he moved into an advisory role with Los Angeles, serving as a special assistant to the general manager since March 5, 2023.
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5. Craig Albernaz, Orioles, 43
- Age at the end of the 2025 season: 43 years, 1 day
- Birthday: October 30, 1982
- Experience: N/A
- Record: 0-0
Craig Albernaz was named the Baltimore Orioles’ next manager on Oct. 26, 2025. The Orioles were expected to be a World Series contender in 2025, but they started the season 15-28. This resulted in former manager Brandon Hyde getting fired.
Baltimore will be Albernaz’s first managerial job of his career. He spent the last two seasons with the Guardians, getting promoted to the role of associate manager for the 2025 season.
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6. Will Venable, White Sox, 43
- Age at the end of the 2025 season: 43 years, 2 days
- Birthday: Oct. 29, 1982
- Experience: 1 year
- Record: 60-102
How do you measure improvement in baseball? Well, the Chicago White Sox lost 121 games in 2024, setting a modern era record for most losses in a single season. This resulted in the firing of Pedro Grifol and the hiring of Will Venable. In 2025, Chicago technically did improve, finishing the season 60-102.
Prior to being named the manager of the White Sox, Venable had an eight-year playing career. Two years after retiring in 2016, he became an assistant coach with the Chicago Cubs in 2018.
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7. Don Kelly, Pirates, 45
- Age at the end of the 2025 season: 45 years, 256 days
- Birthday: Feb. 15, 1980
- Experience: 1 year
- Record: 54-63
Don Kelly joined the Pittsburgh Pirates as a bench coach in 2019. The franchise fired former manager Derek Shelton on May 8, 2025 after a 12-26 season. Kelly was named the interim manager, and despite a 54-63 record down the stretch of the season, was named the permanent manager. He has been an assistant coach in MLB since 2019, but this is his first time as a manager.
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8. John Schneider, Blue Jays, 45
- Age at the end of the 2025 season: 45 years, 257 days
- Birthday: Feb. 14, 1980
- Experience: 4 years
- Record: 303-257
John Schneider has helped the Toronto Blue Jays get back into contention. He took over in 2022 as the manager after the franchise surprisingly fired Charlie Montoyo in July 2021. Schneider led the Blue Jays to the 2025 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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9. Skip Schumaker, Rangers, 45
- Age at the end of the 2025 season: 45 years, 268 days
- Birthday: Feb. 3, 1980
- Experience: 2 years
- Record: 146-178
Skip Schumaker played in MLB for 10 seasons between three franchises. His career ended in 2015, and he started as an assistant coach in 2018 with the San Diego Padres. After five years total as an assistant, he was hired as the Miami Marlins skipper in 2023. He was named the National League Manager of the Year in 2023. Schumaker left the Marlins before the 2024 season ended due to a family emergency, and it was announced he wouldn’t be returning as manager.
Schumaker was named the next manager for the Texas Rangers on Oct. 3, 2025.
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10. Clayton McCullough, Marlins, 45
- Age at the end of the 2025 season: 45 years, 306 days
- Birthday: Dec. 27, 1979
- Experience: 1 Year
- Record: 79-83
Clayton McCullough became an assistant with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021. He was with the franchise for four seasons before he was named as the Miami Marlins manager for the 2025 season. It was his first gig as a manager, and he helped the Marlins to a 79-83 record. It was tied for the second-most wins Miami had had in the last 15 years.
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11. Carlos Mendoza, Mets, 45
- Age at the end of the 2025 season: 45 years, 337 days
- Birthday: Nov. 27, 1979
- Experience: 2 years
- Record: 172-152
Carlos Mendoza was with the New York Yankees as an assistant coach from 2018-2023. He was hired as the Mets manager ahead of the 2024 season, his first managerial job. Mendoza let New York to an 89-73 season with a berth in the National League Championship Series. After the team signed Juan Soto to a mega deal ahead of the 2025 season, expectations were high for New York. Mendoza and the Mets missed the playoffs with an 83-79 record.
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