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Cora has the third-highest win percentage among Boston managers with at least 500 games.
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The Red Sox snapped a five-game skid on Saturday night against the Kansas City Royals. That result moved Boston manager Alex Cora up on an all-time Red Sox managerial ranking.
Boston beat the Royals decisively, 9-5, after jumping out to an 8-1 lead through the first four innings. Alex Verdugo went 3-for-5 with a single, double, and triple, and Tanner Houck threw exactly 95 pitches, the number Cora was hoping to get from him as Houck eases back into the lineup following his injury.
Cora is now tied with John Farrell for sixth most wins all-time as a Boston manager, with 432. Not only that, but Cora also boasts the third-highest winning percentage among Red Sox managers with at least 500 games under their belt, at .551 percent. He trails only Don Zimmer’s .575 and Terry Francona’s .574.
This is Cora’s second stint managing Boston. He was hired after the 2017 season and managed the Red Sox in 2018 and 2019 before he and the team agreed to part ways following MLB’s sign-stealing investigation. The MLB eventually suspended Cora for the 2020 season, and then Boston re-hired him ahead of its 2021 campaign.
He led the Red Sox to a World Series victory in his first season as manager in 2018.
With one more victory, Cora will retain sole possession of sixth place on the all-time wins list. He is 23 wins away from catching Jimmy Collins (455) for fifth. Hall of Famer Joe Cronin has the most managerial wins (1,071) by a significant margin. The next closest to him is Francona’s 744.
Boston has had a tough ride in 2023, hovering just above .500 with its Wild Card hopes dwindling. But, through all of the shortcomings of the 2023 Red Sox, Cora has still been a bright spot at the helm.
Boston looks to win its series against the Royals on Sunday afternoon at 2:10 p.m. EST.