Torey Lovullo of the Arizona Diamondbacks was voted the 2017 National League Manager of the Year. Los Angeles Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts, who was looking to repeat, finished second in voting. Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black came in third place.
Lovullo received 18 first-place votes, five second place and six third place. Roberts garnered first-place votes, eight second place, six third place. Black received three first-place votes.
Black completed his 10th season as a Major League manager, but first with the Rockies. Roberts was in his second, and Lovullo his first. Lovullo helped account for a 24-win increase over 2016, Roberts saw a plus-13 jump, and Black an increase of 12 wins.
Lovullo joins Bob Melvin (2007) and Kirk Gibson (2011) as Diamondbacks managers to win the award. The trio each guided the team to a postseason berth, with Melvin’s club reaching the NL Championship Series.
Lovullo led the Diamondbacks to a complete turnaround, as they improved from 69-93 in 2016 to 93-69 this season. Arizona spent a portion of the year in first place in the NL West, but ultimately were unable to hold off the Dodgers, as they claimed a fifth consecutive division title.
While the Diamondbacks failed to win the NL West, they secured home-field advantage in the Wild Card Game. The trip to the postseason was the franchise’s first since 2011.
It set the stage for a matchup with the Rockies, which turned into an entertaining affair at Chase Field. For Colorado, who finished 87-75, the postseason berth was their fourth in franchise history and first since 2009.
The Diamondbacks came away with a win, only to be swept by the Dodgers in the NL Division Series. While his team failed to notch a win against the eventual NL champions, Lovullo said he didn’t believe the Dodgers played ‘exceptionally well’ over the three games.
