Maple City's Alex Friedman Named 2026 American League Manager of the Year

Aug 27
2 min read

Awards week continues as we will be announcing Regular Season Awards leading up to the 2026 ORWBL World Series. All 6 Awards were voted on by the 14 Managers as 3 points were awarded for a 1st place vote, 2 points for a 2nd place vote, and 1 point for a 3rd place vote.

Congratulations to the 2026 American League Manager of the Year Award winner, Alex Friedman of the Maple City Magic! This Friedman's 7th AL Manager of the Year award and 1st since 2019. It was a memorable season for Maple City who tied their franchise record with a .833 Win Percentage after going 25-5 en route to earning the top seed in the American League Postseason.

It was quite the offseason in Maple City after losing Jared & Caleb Jonkman who helped lead them to 4 straight titles from 2017-2020. Shortly before the start of the 2026 season, Maple City announced the additions of Walter Griffin III, Brandon Terry, and Josh Trim who have quickly helped turn Maple City back into a powerhouse after a tough stretch between 2021-2025.

The new look Magic finished tied with the Newts for the best record in ORWBL while their only series loss came on the road at the hands of the Valpo Vols and their former teammate Jared Jonkman. After Postseason series wins over Hudson Lake & Mill Pond, Maple City will now look to capture their 5th ORWBL title and 1st since 2020 as they return to the World Series for the 1st time since 2021.

2026 American League Manager of the Year Award Top 3 Finishers: