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The 2026 MLB season is set to start as coaches and players prep for the 162-game grind. Opening Day is right around the corner. Competitors will soon get the opportunity to show off the work they’ve put in.
Those parties will not be the only ones on the field, however. Umpires, too, are honing their craft for the year to come. In doing so, they look to avoid on-field drama as it relates to confrontation.
There are a few coaches more eager than most to argue close calls. They top the list in terms of ejections as they relate to baseball managers.
Which active MLB managers have the most ejections?
Bobby Cox owns the record for most ejections in MLB history, and by a rather large margin. His league-leading 162 cannings are 41 more than the next closest coach.
Cox is one of three former MLB managers to get tossed at least 100 times. No current manager is close to creeping up on that mark.
In terms of active coaches, seven have recorded more than 20 ejections. Just one tops 50.
They range from seasoned vets to relative newcomers. Had this article been written last year, Bruce Bochy and Bob Melvin would’ve led the charge. They’ve since moved onto other roles, putting a new name atop the list.
Here, we’ll take a look at the testy team leaders while providing a video clip of one of their most dramatic oustings.
Alex Cora (21)
Cora has been ejected 21 times across his seven-year career, being ousted an average of three times per season. His total ties him for the sixth-most ejections amongst active managers.
The former pro infielder has spent each of his seven years with the Red Sox. After a relatively slow start in terms of being tossed, he’s ramped things up.
Cora totaled five ejections across his first three seasons combined. He matched that number last year to set a career high. He’s also been ousted four times in two other campaigns.
His 21 early exits across 1,134 games make for an average of one ejection per 54 contests.
Oliver Marmol (21)
Marmol has matched Cora’s output in nearly half the time. The Cardinals manager has 21 ejections across just four seasons.
He was thrown out of three games in his debut season with St. Louis. He doubled that the following year and has matched that output in each campaign since.
Marmol has been tossed 18 times in the last three seasons, which tops in the National League. His 21 ejections in 648 matchups comes to an average of once per 30 games.
Torey Lovullo (23)
Lovullo has unwillingly exited 23 MLB games across his nine-year managerial career. The Diamondbacks leader is tossed 2-3 times a season.
He recorded a career-high five ejections in 2022, which outnumbered the combined total for the first three years of his career. Lovullo’s toned it down a bit since.
He’s been thrown out of three games in each of the last three years. His 23-game total across 1,356 contests makes for an average of one ejection per 59 outings.
AJ Hinch (24)
Hinch has coached for three different teams across 12 seasons. His ejection average is relatively consistent regardless of location.
The manager started with the Diamondbacks, where he totaled five ejections in two seasons. He then moved onto Houston where he was asked to leave 11 games in five years.
Now, he leads the Tigers. He’s been tossed eight times in five seasons.
Hinch has never been thrown out of more than three games in a single campaign. His 24 early exits across 1,832 games average out to one ejection per 76 outings.
Craig Counsell (34)
Counsell has been an MLB manager for 11 seasons. In that time, he’s tallied 34 ejections, good for about three per season.
Twenty-eight of those exits came while coaching in Milwaukee, where he spent the first nine years of his career. Twice with the Brewers, he totaled five ejections in a season.
He’s been consistent following his move to Chicago, racking up three ejections in each of his first two seasons with the Cubs.
Counsell has coached a total of 1656 games. He gets tossed, on average, once every 49 contests.
Aaron Boone (46)
Boone may be the most hot-headed manager on this list, at least judging by the numbers. The Yankees leader has been thrown out of 46 games in eight seasons.
He’s been one of the league leaders with 35 ejections since 2021. That’s highlighted by his nine early exits in 2022.
Boone has never been tossed less than four times in a full season. His career-low total of two ejections came in the COVID shortened 2020 campaign.
His sum of 46 makes for an average of one exit per 26 contests across an 1,194-game career, easily making him the most frequent offender.
Terry Francona (54)
Francona takes the cake for active managers with 54 ejections. His spot on the leaderboard is largely due to longevity.
The Reds’ manager averages far less confrontation than previously mentioned Aaron Boone. He’s never been tossed more than five times in one season.
Francona has coached for 24 years. He gets thrown out 2-3 times per campaign on average.
With that being said, he has had his moments. Twice, he’s tallied five ejections in a season. Four others, however, he’s recorded a goose egg with good behavior.
Across 3,784 games, Francona’s 54 ejections average out to one every 70 games. So, while he is No. 1 in terms of total, he’s actually one of the more level-headed coaches on the list.