For most major leaguers, the ground beneath their feet rarely feels stable. Eight- and nine-figure contracts are the exception, not the rule. Each pitch, each plate appearance and each defensive chance can serve as a mini-audition for 29 other teams.
But that doesn’t mean the grass is always greener on another home field. And this doesn’t stop major leaguers from wondering.
In our annual anonymous player poll conducted this spring, we asked more than 100 of them which opposing managers they would and wouldn’t want to play for, as well as which rival organizations have good and bad reputations among players.
This was far from a scientific survey. Even when granted anonymity in exchange for their candor, modern professional athletes can tend to be measured in their assessments or opinions of other organizations. Still, ballplayers are going to be ballplayers. There were more than a few interesting answers.
Let’s see what they had to say.
There wasn’t a clear consensus. Still, score a couple for the old guys.
Almost a sixth of our voting pool named Bruce Bochy, 70, as the opposing manager they would most like to play for. Just behind him was Terry Francona, 66. Both men have taken a recent break from a grueling profession before returning in new cities. And both remain revered for their feel and, between them, six World Series titles.
Of Bochy, one player said: “He’s a fun guy to play for and has so much experience that you can’t do anything but learn from him.”
Stephen Vogt was the third pick with more than 12 percent of the vote. He is only 40 years old, but he’s another player’s manager and, like Bochy, a former big-league catcher. Craig Counsell came in fourth with 7.4 percent of the vote. Brian Snitker and Dave Roberts tied for fifth at 5.7 percent apiece. Other managers receiving votes included Alex Cora, Carlos Mendoza, Aaron Boone and A.J. Hinch.
In their own words
More on Bochy
“A lot of championships.”
“I like old-school style.”
On Francona
“He commands a room almost like a friend. He’s still an authoritative figure, but I would say he’s more like a young grandpa.”
“He’s a legend.”
On Vogt
“Because I played with Stephen Vogt and I love Stephen Vogt.”
“Awesome guy. Fun to be around. Everybody knew he was going to be a manager before.”
On Counsell
“His teams win, have fun and play with an edge.”
No surprise: Fewer players responded to this question, and there was even more variance across those answers. Bud Black, who has since been dismissed by the historically terrible Colorado Rockies, and St. Louis Cardinals manager Oli Marmol were tied at the top with five votes apiece.
Some players included a caveat in their answers. “Only because (the Rockies) stink,” one National League pitcher said, explaining his selection of Black. Others professed a lack of familiarity. “I don’t really know many managers,” another player said.
In the potential absence of more concrete knowledge, some respondents seemed to rely on distant impressions. “He has gotten mad publicly for some things that don’t seem that serious,” an NL position player said of the San Diego Padres’ Mike Shildt, who joined the Los Angeles Angels’ Ron Washington in receiving four votes.
Gabe Kapler, who hasn’t managed since he was fired by the San Francisco Giants in 2023, got three votes. Other managers receiving multiple votes were Roberts, Mark Kotsay and, before he was let go by the Pittsburgh Pirates, Derek Shelton.
In their own words
On Black
“Because he doesn’t stop talking when he’s in the dugout, and as a player, it gets kind of annoying. Plus, it means I’d be pitching in Colorado.”
“Honestly, whoever was the Rockies’ manager was who I was going to say.”
On Marmol
“I don’t really know many managers. I’m trying to think of someone in our division, just so I can say someone. Who is the Cardinals’ guy? … Yeah. Just put him down.”
On Washington
“Because I want to use my cellphone.”
Which organizations have bad reputations among players?
On Opening Day, four of the majors’ five lowest payrolls belonged to the Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Miami Marlins and Pirates. Not coincidentally, those four clubs joined the Rockies in receiving the most mentions when we polled players on the sport’s least reputable organizations, allowing multiple answers in each response.
“All the poor ones,” one player said.
“There are no poor ones,” another pointed out.
Of the 115 players who responded, 39 named the relatively nomadic Athletics as an organization with a bad reputation. Coming off an all-time bad season, the White Sox received the second-most mentions, with 31. The Marlins and Rockies tied for an ignominious third place. They were followed, in order, by the Rockies, Pirates, Angels and resourceful but frugal Rays.
One American League player, asked to name at least one team he wouldn’t want to play for, settled on the White Sox. He added: “At the end of the day, you’re in the big leagues. How can you complain when you’re in the big leagues? I don’t think there’d be anybody I wouldn’t want to play for.”
A fellow member of the AL provided a similar perspective while pointing out the unusual circumstances of the Athletics and another somewhat transient club.
“The major leagues is the major leagues, but it’s got to be tough to be on the Rays or the A’s,” he said.
In their own words
On the Athletics
“Because they’re cheap.”
“They’re going to be playing in Sacramento.”
“I had a buddy who was traded to the A’s as a minor leaguer. … He went to Oakland and said the way they were fed, the places they stayed were just not good.”
On the Marlins
“Miami has no direction, and all their prospects are 17, so they’re seven years away from doing anything.”
“I’ve heard specific things about them getting, like, Subway sandwiches on the road sometimes. It’s little stuff like that where it’s like, we’re in the big leagues. Cheap stuff. It’s a billion-dollar industry. Let’s be a little better than that.”
On the Rockies
“They’re not trying to win.”
“I’ve heard the player development isn’t very good. They’re stuck in the past and don’t do a whole lot for their guys.”
“I never understand what they’re doing as an organization. They’ve been bad for a long time.”
On the White Sox
“It’s just a dumpster fire through and through.”
“They lost the most games in history last season. I mean, why would you want to join that team right now?”
On the Pirates
“The Pirates give players resources, but their owner just has zero interest in winning.”
On the Angels
“They just don’t know what they’re doing top to bottom. That’s what I’ve heard.”
Which organizations have good reputations among players?
For all their preternatural talent and uncommon work ethic, major leaguers are just like us. Who doesn’t love winning and getting paid handsomely while you’re at it? In 2024, the Los Angeles Dodgers combined those two things better than anyone else. It’s early, but they remain favored to win it all in 2025. And this spring, 82 of 126 respondents named baseball’s foremost juggernaut as a team with a good reputation.
The New York Yankees, last year’s postseason runner-up, were second with 40 mentions. Like the Dodgers, they have long paired a rich tradition with a wealth of resources.
“Teams that want to win, they give everything to the players,” one respondent said.
Said another: “You want to be where they spend money.”
Also receiving at least 17 mentions were the Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets and Cleveland Guardians, who don’t spend a lot but, like the Rays, have a reputation for maximizing their expenditures. These teams were followed by the Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, Houston Astros and Rays.
In their own words
On the Dodgers
“You win the World Series, and you go out and do what they did to add to it? That’s what professional sports — not just baseball — is supposed to be.”
“The Dodgers take care of players and their families, but they also excel on the player development side.”
“The Dodgers stand out. Everyone wants to win. Everyone wants to get paid. You go there, looks like that happens.”
On the Yankees
“The Yankees and Dodgers are the gold standards for players. Accommodations. Always in on free agents. Home stadium is always packed.”
“They take care of their guys. The food there is incredible.”
“Everybody who goes to the Yankees absolutely loves it there.”
On the Braves
“They have a relaxed, old-school feel.”
“The Braves do everything just as good as the Yankees. The way they take care of the players, players’ families, the way they treat you like you’re the best in the league.”
On the Cubs
“Players I know in Chicago, they talk about how well they treat families.”
“They are just about keeping traditions alive. They love their history and their legacies and try to continue that.”
On the Mets
“The best family room in the league, by far, is the Mets. The Cohen family put a bunch of money into that because they know how important it is to take care of family.”
On the Guardians
“The Guardians make players, especially pitchers, better.”
On the Red Sox
“Their medical staff is top-notch.”
Editor’s note: Some player quotes included in this story have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Photo of Oliver Marmol: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images; Bruce Bochy: Samuel Corum / Getty Images)
