Torey Lovullo, Paul Molitor Named Managers of the Year

The Diamondbacks' Torey Lovullo was named NL Manager of the Year, while the Twins' Paul Molitor was named AL Manager of the Years.

The Diamondbacks' Torey Lovullo and the Twins' Paul Molitor were awarded Baseball Writers Association of America's Manager of the Year award. 

Lovullo, who is the seventh manager to win the award in his first season as a manager, guided the Diamondbacks to a 93-69 season—a 24-win improvement from 2016. The Diamondbacks finished in the first NL Wild Card spot and beat the Rockies in a one-game playoff before being swept by the Dodgers in the Division Series. 

Lovullo beat out two other NL West managers for the award: the Dodgers' Dave Roberts and the Rockies' Bud Black. 

A bench coach with the Red Sox for four years before taking the Arizona job, Lovullo is the third Diamondbacks manager to win the award, following Kirk Gibson in 2011 and Bob Melvin in 2007. 

Molitor guided the Twins to an 85-77 record and an improbable postseason run after winning just 59 games in 2016. The Twins entered the season with paltry expectations and were sellers at the trade deadline, yet played well down the stretch to earn the AL's second Wild Card spot. The Twins lost in the one-game Wild Card playoff by the Yankees.

Molitor, who just completed his third season in charge of the Twins, is a member of the Hall of Fame as a player. Frank Robinson, who was named AL manager of the year in 1989, is the only other Hall of Fame player to win the award.

Hinch navigated the Astros to a 101-61 record and their first-ever World Series title in his third season at the helm. He also dealt with leading the Astros through the emotional roller coaster caused by Hurricane Harvey, including playing multiple home games away from Minute Maid Park during the worst of the flooding. After Harvey hit, the Astros posted a 37-17 record including a 20-4 record at home. 

Francona, who won the award last year, led the Indians to an AL-best 102-62 record and an American League record 22 wins in a row. Cleveland won the AL Central by a comfortable 17-game margin but were defeated in the ALDS by the Yankees in five games after blowing a 2-0 series lead.