3) Eric Ramsay (Minnesota United)
The Loons own a seven-match unbeaten run in the league, and perhaps as much as any team in MLS are a direct reflection of their manager's approach.
Minnesota's tactical setup is a deep-lying 5-3-2 designed to maximize the Loons' counterattacking ability around forwards Tani Oluwaseyi and Kelvin Yeboah. And it's a system that requires an inherent inner belief, given that it results in MNUFC holding the least possession of any MLS team through eight matchdays.
Ramsay wants to see his team get better in possession. But the fact that they're still second in the Western Conference without doing so is a testament to their belief in his unique approach.
2) Mikey Varas (San Diego FC)
In most years, Varas would be the decisive frontrunner in this category.
The early struggles of most expansion sides are well documented, and most outside observers believed San Diego FC's squad had only average talent for an expansion club.
Yet Varas not only has SDFC in third place in the Western Conference, but he has them there while playing some of the more stylish stuff in the league, and while missing their star Chucky Lozano for roughly half of their league minutes.
If San Diego makes another big splash in the summer transfer market, they could be an EINO club -- Expansion In Name Only -- by the time the playoffs roll around.
1) Jesper Sorensen (Vancouver Whitecaps)
Most of the MLS landscape presumed the Whitecaps would take a discernible step backward when they decided to part with popular Italian manager Vanni Sartini.
Instead, Sorensen has led the Whitecaps to one of the best starts to a season any MLS team has ever enjoyed.
The Whitecaps have dominated opponents, playing to a 6W-1D-1L record in league play while storming to an MLS-best +11 goal differential. Even more stunningly, that has come with playmaker Ryan Gauld out injured for the last several weeks, and while Vancouver has also managed a surprising run to the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals.
Perhaps the Whitecaps eventually fall back to earth, particularly with a tricky home-and-home semifinal against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami waiting. But we've been waiting on that for a while now, and it hasn't happened yet.