The role of general manager in baseball has been in constant evolution, just like the game itself. From the early days of the dawn of the 20th century, when the team owner was in charge of player transactions, to the current state of the job, as the position has become a more specialized role, being a GM has always carried a certain gravitas and prestige among baseball people.
Even as teams currently boast dozens of employees in their front offices, the GM continues to be a recognizable face (for better and for worse) for fans and players alike, in charge of negotiating contracts and making tough calls when it comes to transactions. While some of them still have to report to a president of baseball operations, and many decisions are consulted with several analysts before executing them, being a GM still requires a unique blend of baseball acumen, people skills, and having ownership’s trust.
Among the 30 current GMs, there are a few with more solid credentials and achievements than others, which is why today we rank the top 10 heading into the 2024 season. Some of them are experts at spending the riches provided by ownership, while others may be great at maximizing the limited resources they get; nevertheless, they will enter this campaign with the same goal: getting a ring for their organization.
#10 Mike Chernoff – Cleveland Guardians
In terms of running the Cleveland franchise, president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti has received most of the praise, but it is also important to consider the work of Mike Chernoff, who has been his trusted GM for almost a decade now. Following a stint as a college player in Princeton, where he earned his degree, he joined the Cleveland organization as an intern, then became director of baseball relations, finally serving as the assistant GM to Antonetti in 2010. Ever since, he has worked with an organization that has managed to stay competitive despite a limited budget, winning four division titles and a pennant among six playoff appearances as a whole. Even as Cleveland’s drafts have not yielded the type of top prospects of decades past, Chernoff’s trades have been productive for the franchise, as they now boast a top-half farm system and many of its prospects will graduate sometime in 2024. Even with a low profile, Chernoff could someday become a POBO in Cleveland or somewhere else.
#9 Ross Atkins – Toronto Blue Jays
Atkins, who had a short career as a pitcher with the Cleveland organization in the mid-90s, has mostly been successful in his Toronto tenure, which started back in 2016. After inheriting a roster that featured stars like José Bautista and Josh Donaldson, the GM had to make several tough decisions to reshape the roster and start anew. While the 2017-19 period was mired with tough seasons and fourth-place finishes, it allowed the front office to develop the likes of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, while complementing them with productive free agents, such as George Springer and Kevin Gausman. His best first-round pick so far, Alek Manoah, is coming off a confounding, bad season, but is still young enough to be salvaged. Even as the Blue Jays continue to search for their first playoff win since 2016, Atkins has created a stable operation that is attractive to free agents, despite playing in the tough AL East. Atkins is signed through 2026, but this season will be key to bolstering his credentials, as Toronto navigates a division that goes four-deep in contenders.
#8 Brian Cashman – New York Yankees
Even as recent seasons have taken off some luster from Cashman’s status in baseball, there is no denying that he is among the best to ever do it. He remains the only GM hired in the 20th century, as he will enter his 27th season leading the Yankees. While most of his accomplishments happened early in his tenure, he still laps the field in terms of division titles, pennants, and championships, as New York has won it all four times under his watch. However, the biggest accomplishment from Cashman may be his longevity, as he has been able to navigate the mercurial style of George Steinbrenner and then his children’s, always following a stoic style that bodes well with the biggest franchise in the sport. While the Yankees are still waiting for their first AL championship since 2009, Cashman and his front office have always managed to keep the team competitive, drafting the likes of Aaron Judge and Anthony Volpe during the last decade. Also, this offseason saw Cashman pull a big trade for Juan Soto, signaling that the Yankees are again all-in for a title. While his results are often derided by the New York media, there is no way to question Cashman and his front office’s desire to win.
#7 Mike Rizzo – Washington Nationals
As the second-longest tenured GM in the game, Rizzo represents almost a throwback compared to his peers. He has been around for so long that he was the architect of Washington’s first overhaul into contention, followed through with a memorable championship in 2019, and is now tasked again with rebuilding the Nationals. Along the way, he oversaw some of the most successful first-round picks of the decade (Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon), signed Max Scherzer to what may be the best pitcher free agent contract of all time, and also found a gem in Juan Soto, fast-tracking him to the Majors at age 19. While the Nationals have faded into obscurity following their lone title, Rizzo has earned enough goodwill to remain employed, making the tough decisions to trade Trea Turner, Scherzer, and Soto before reaching free agency, which earned enough prospect capital to give Washington a top-10 farm system, headlined by a couple of Rizzo draft picks, Dylan Crews and Elijah Green. While the Nats may still be a season away from relevancy, Rizzo signed a multi-year extension in late 2023, securing his status as the GM of the next good Washington squad.
#6 Brandon Gomes – Los Angeles Dodgers
With a degree from Tulane University and five years of MLB experience as a fringe reliever, Gomes has found a way to blend this acumen to become the trusted GM of one of the premier franchises in the sport. While he has only two years in the position, his results as director of player development made him the right man for the job in Los Angeles, where he reports directly to Andrew Friedman. Even as Friedman is mostly credited with the team’s success, not to mention ownership’s seemingly unlimited funds, Gomes has found a niche as a low-profile GM, handling trades and day-to-day operations. To wit, the 2023 trade deadline saw him bring in several low-heralded names that ultimately pushed the Dodgers over the top, while still keeping a lower payroll that allowed the franchise to push its chips before 2024. Having signed Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Teoscar Hernández as free agents while also trading for Tyler Glasnow gets all the headlines, but Los Angeles’s, and Gomes’s, season may be defined by their ability to bolster the roster with minor transactions, while also continuing to develop players like only the Dodgers know.
#5 Mike Hazen – Arizona Diamondbacks
As injuries derailed his fleeting minor league career, Mike Hazen had to fight his way from the bottom as an executive, starting as an intern with Cleveland back in the early 2000s, then moving to Boston as director of player development, and ultimately landing the Arizona GM job in 2016. While his experience with detecting talent has not always translated well in draft picks, Hazen deserves credit for tearing down the Dbacks only to build them back up despite a modest budget. His best draft pick, Corbin Carroll (taken 16th overall in 2019), is fresh off a rookie of the year season, and while Arizona’s farm system is now bereft of top prospects, their big league roster should be solid for years to come. The trade deadline’s trade for Paul Sewald signaled a new all-in mode for Arizona, as they completed a two-season turnaround from 111 losses to the World Series. The key for Hazen will be to find ways to navigate a competitive NL West, for which he has built a young, notable foundation with players such as Carroll, Ketel Marte, and Zac Gallen.
#4 Erik Neander – Tampa Bay Rays
Neander’s place on this list can be controversial, as he has retaken the GM role by default, following the departure of Peter Bendix to run the Marlins. However, regardless of his official job title, there is no way to deny that Tampa Bay almost always earns the benefit of the doubt in terms of its front office. Even without professional baseball experience, Neander was able to jump from intern to GM with the Rays in less than a decade, becoming the second youngest GM in baseball, at the tender age of 33. Since then, he has earned an Executive of the Year award in 2019, leading the Rays to five straight postseasons, a pennant, and the fourth-best record in MLB despite fielding a bottom-10 payroll every single time. While a championship has proven to be elusive, Tampa’s penchant for fielding competitive teams and developing above-average pitchers is remarkable, and their penny-pinching ways may be over once the team moves to a new, profitable stadium around 2028. Until then, Neander and the Rays are a good bet to remain relevant, even if it means trading popular players before arbitration, deploying openers on a regular basis, and playing in front of many empty seats.
#3 Chris Young – Texas Rangers
In terms of actual MLB playing experience, no one can match the 13-year career of Chris Young. While he was mostly known as a soft-tossing journeyman, he always had a respected status in baseball, which was reflected in his quick hiring by Joe Torre as head of MLB operations following his retirement. Then in 2020, he joined the Rangers (the team that gave Young his first shot at MLB back in 2004) as general manager, following a tough stretch of losing seasons. While his inaugural campaign was a 100-loss disaster, and then was followed up by a 94-loss year, the foundations were laid for the next chapter of Texas baseball, including the aggressive signings of Corey Seager and Marcus Semien. It all came together in 2023, as Young and his front office built a team mixed with veterans and youngsters to deliver the first championship in Rangers history. Even a move that did not move the needle in October, the trade for Max Scherzer, at least served as proof of the culture shift for the Rangers, who had not even sniffed the postseason since 2016. His leadership style has been praised, while Arlington has suddenly become an attractive destination for free agents again.
#2 Mike Elias – Baltimore Orioles
As another Ivy Leaguer with limited baseball-playing experience, Elias has been a standout in several aspects of the game and is now reaping the benefits of his efforts during the most recent era of Baltimore baseball. As scouting director and assistant general manager with the Astros from 2012 to 2018, he oversaw one of the most successful rebuilds in MLB history, only to follow it up with a promising second chapter now as Orioles GM. To wit, he inherited a 47-win team that still bottomed out with 110 losses as recently as 2021. The premium draft positions allowed Elias and the front office to rebuild slowly, with blue-chip prospects such as Grayson Rodriguez, Adley Rutschman, Heston Kjerstad, and Jackson Holliday. It all started to come together with a winning season in 2022, and then took a massive step forward in 2023, as the Orioles won their first division title since 2014. Now with a deep farm system and plenty of payroll flexibility, Elias can flex Baltimore’s muscles over the next few years, possibly creating a perennial contender, even in the mighty AL East.
#1 Alex Anthopoulos – Atlanta Braves
Anthopoulos has been a baseball fixture for so long, that he started his career working for the Montreal Expos. After climbing through the ranks eventually with the Blue Jays, he was the architect of one of the most exciting teams in recent memory, leading the Blue Jays to their first playoff appearance in more than 20 years. Following a brief two-year stint with the Dodgers, Anthopoulos was hired by the Braves, where he quickly put his stamp on a team that was coming into its own. While Atlanta has not drafted particularly well in the first round, they have more than made up with international signings and aggressive trades, leading to foundational players like Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies, and Michael Harris. Even the tough decision of letting franchise legend Freddie Freeman was quickly forgotten with the acquisition of Matt Olson and Sean Murphy. The GM’s knack for negotiating long-term, below-market deals is the final piece of the puzzle, as the Braves have most of their core locked up for the rest of the decade, which almost guarantees that they will remain the top dog in the NL East for years to come. With six straight division titles and a World Series under his belt, it is no surprise that Anthopoulos was recently extended for another seven years.
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