Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts received six votes for third place and with six total points finished fifth overall for 2021 National League Manager of the Year, which was won by the San Francisco Giants’ Gabe Kapler.
Kapler received 28 of 30 first-place votes, amounting to 143 points. Fellow finalists Craig Counsell (Milwaukee Brewers) and Mike Shildt (St. Louis Cardinals) each received one-first place vote.
Counsell placed second with 75 votes, and Shildt was third on the ballot with 25 points. Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker had four votes for second place and nine for third, totaling 21 points.
Roberts, who won NL Manager of the Year in 2016, has received at least one vote in all six years at the helm. His lowest finish in Manager of the Year voting was one third-place vote in 2018, which amounted to sixth place.
While Kapler was the undeniable favorite to win the honor after guiding the Giants to a franchise-record 107 wins, Roberts certainly had a case to be among the three finalists.
The Dodgers dealt with a rash of injuries to starting pitchers and key contributors, along with controversy stemming from sexual assault allegations against Trevor Bauer, yet continued marching and tied a franchise record with 106 wins.
In his six years as manager, Roberts has led the Dodgers to an MLB-best 542-329 record, five NL West titles, three NL pennants and one World Series championship.
Will Dodgers sign Roberts to extension?
In addition to the Dodgers facing the likelihood of roster turnover via free agency, Roberts’ long-term future is not quite clear.
He signed a four-year contract extension after the 2018 season but now is in position to be a lame-duck manager in 2022. Roberts expressed hope a new extension will soon be agreed to, and Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has continued to publicly state his importance and belief an agreement will be reached.
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