First year coach Dave Roberts named NL Manager of the Year

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts named the 2016 NL Manager of the Year.

In his first year as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Dave Roberts led the team to the National League Championship Series. He was rewarded for a successful season, by winning the NL Manager of the Year award.

The BBWAA voted on the award after the regular season ended and Roberts received 16 first place votes and 108 total points. Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon, who defeated the Dodgers in the NLCS and won the World Series, finished in second and received eight first place votes and 70 total points. First year Nationals skipper Dusty Baker came in third place with four first place votes and 66 total points. The Mets’ Terry Collins and Marlins’ Don Mattingly also received votes, respectively.

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The Dodgers ended the regular season with a 91-71 record and won the NL West Pennant.

In June, the Dodgers were eight games back of the NL West leading San Francisco Giants. By mid-August, they had taken the division lead and never looked back. When the season ended, the Dodgers had won the division by four games.

The most surprising prospect of their season, was their success without their ace Clayton Kershaw. The former Cy Young winner only started 21 games in 2016, and was out of the lineup when Los Angeles made their push for the division lead.

Best known for his stolen base in the 2004 ALCS, Roberts had never been a manager at any level before this year. He was hired after the Dodgers decided to part ways with long time manager Don Mattingly. He had previously been the bench coach for the San Diego Padres.

Dave Roberts is the first Los Angeles Dodger’s skipper to win the NL Manager of the Year award since Tommy Lasorda in 1988.