MLB Manager of the Year voting: Why division winners deserve credit, even when expectations are high

The 2023 National League Manager of the Year has been awarded to Skip Schumaker of the Marlins, with Craig Counsell of the Milwaukee Brewers coming in 2d and Brian Snitker of the Braves completing in 3rd. 

As a member of the Cincinnati bankruptcy of the BBWAA, I used to be tasked with a vote in this award. Here used to be my poll: 

1. Brian Snitker, Braves
2. Dave Roberts, Dodgers
3. Craig Counsell, Brewers

First off, it must be wired that those votes are solid prior to the playoffs even get started. Even if I sought after to incorporate playoff efficiency for this regular-season award, it used to be unimaginable. My poll used to be submitted on Oct. 2 and if I waited till the Wild Card Series began, my poll would’ve been overdue and thrown out. There’s an issue that this award will have to come with the postseason, however it’s not relevant right here. I did not have the selection.

As such, that is one of the causes Diamondbacks supervisor Torey Lovullo wasn’t integrated on my poll. Along with Marlins supervisor Skip Schumaker and even then-Cubs supervisor David Ross or Reds supervisor David Bell, I threw out the 82-84 win managers and went with the division winners as my 3 picks. 

I’ve grown weary lately of the penchant some need to need to praise relative mediocrity whilst disregarding remarkable performances with this award. Sure, if a group is overly loaded with high-priced and highly-performing ability, it may be so much more uncomplicated to control than instances the place a supervisor is squeezing each and every bit of skill out of his low-salaried group with so much of younger gamers, particularly inexperienced persons. There’s all the time context in the back of every case. I’ve simply felt like folks began disregarding the perfect groups’ managers too continuously and, positive sufficient, I imagine it came about once more with Roberts checking in in the back of Schumaker. 

Here are the instances for my 3 votes, so as:

Snitker

The Braves had been the undisputed perfect group in baseball for nearly 4 months. They received 104 video games, the maximum in baseball. Snitker used to be blessed with excellent well being and remarkable performances on the position-player aspect, nevertheless it wasn’t all laid out completely for him. Michael Harris II weathered an early-season hunch whilst Sean Murphy stopped hitting after an early-season surge. The Vaughn Grissom plan at shortstop did not determine. 

Look at the pitching, despite the fact that. Max Fried made simply 14 begins. Kyle Wright made simplest seven. Those had been intended to be their best two starters. Bryce Elder stepped up in the first part, however then fell aside. Others did not determine, similar to Dylan Dodd, Jared Shuster or a improving Michael Soroka. The bullpen had a muddle of accidents and inconsistency, too. 

So much of groups handle this, however no person else did so whilst successful 104 video games. I in reality assume there is something to be stated for protecting the send on the proper trail via these kinds of pitching problems. And no longer simply the proper trail: as now we have established, the Braves had been the perfect group in baseball. That should not be outright brushed aside with this award simply because it has prior to. 

Nearly any criticism about Snitker boils right down to the Braves’ postseason disappointments and, once more, I had no concept that used to be coming. If I attempted to get forward of it after which the Braves received the World Series, that might be even worse. We can simplest pass judgement on the steady season right here and Snitker used to be superb.

Roberts

I’ve equivalent sentiment for Roberts as Snitker. We can upload in that so much of folks concept the Padres had been going to win the division and the Dodgers in truth trailed the Diamondbacks via 3 video games via July 2. 

The data the relaxation of the manner:

Dodgers: 54-25
D-backs: 34-43

The Dodgers did not in truth have reasonably the loaded lineup they did in previous years. They have two extremely compensated MVP applicants in Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, clearly, however then it is Will Smith, Max Muncy, J.D. Martinez and necessarily a set of platoon gamers.

Like Snitker, it is most commonly about the pitching, despite the fact that. Did you understand the Dodgers did not have a unmarried pitcher make 25 begins? Clayton Kershaw led the group with 24 and he used to be restricted for many of the ones begins. Walker Buehler made none. Julio Urías used to be compelled from the rotation because of some other home violence allegation (and, once more, the supervisor has to handle his clubhouse via stuff like this, as uncomfortable as it’s to speak about). Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May had been misplaced to harm. Noah Syndergaard did not determine. Youngsters like Bobby Miller, Emmet Sheehan and Ryan Pepiot had been massaged in. 

Yes, the D-backs had pitching woes as neatly, however in addition they had two frontline starters who have shyed away from harm all 12 months and, once more, the Dodgers throttled them down the stretch. They received the division via 16 video games. Sixteen! 

Like with Snitker, the largest mark in opposition to Roberts used to be the playoffs and I could not pass judgement on that when I voted. 

Counsell

Some folks, similar to myself, picked the Brewers to win the NL Central, however maximum had the Cardinals. Anyone choosing the Brewers did so predicated on the Brewers’ promise of run prevention in the back of a couple of aces, a 3rd in all probability frontline starter and a forged bullpen led via one of the perfect closers in baseball. As it grew to become out, Brandon Woodruff, one of stated aces, simplest made 11 begins this season. And whilst Devin Williams is superior, one of the primary causes the Brewers’ bullpen is excellent maximum seasons is as a result of Counsell is this sort of maestro at deploying his relievers. 

Joel Payamps, a 29-year-old pitcher on his 5th group in 5 years, used to be remarkable in 70 2/3 innings. Hoby Milner, a 32-year-old pitcher on his fourth group in seven years, had a 1.82 ERA in 64 1/3 innings. Stuff like this occurs once a year with the Brewers. At some level, it simply is not a twist of fate. I’ve lengthy been high on Counsell in this entrance. I had him first place in 2018 Manager of the Year voting when he completed 2d. 

Also, the Brewers’ group of workers on offense used to be completely missing. They had been twelfth of 15 NL groups in reasonable, 9th in on-base share, 14th in slugging, 14th in OPS and nonetheless controlled to complete 8th in runs. To end 8th in runs and win 92 video games with a group that used to be twelfth of 15 in reasonable and 14th of 15 in OPS turns out like one hell of a managing task to me. 

There will have been arguments for Ross or Bell right here sooner or later. The Cubs began 26-36 after which righted the send and had been one of the perfect groups in baseball for a number of months. But they misplaced 15 of their remaining 22. The Reds had been 26-33 after which stuck hearth and had been one of baseball’s perfect tales, sitting in first position on July 6. Then the Brewers beat them 5 out of six occasions to retake first position. From Aug. 1 via the finish of the season, the Reds went 23-31. 

Buoyed via a nine-game successful streak in overdue August, the Brewers went 46-29 to near down the division and cling off the two upstart groups, who each fell aside to various levels. 

We’ll reiterate for the remaining time that it is a regular-season award that used to be voted on prior to the playoffs even began. 

I did not even imagine any individual outdoor the 3 division-winning managers. My simplest decision-making used to be in the end easy methods to kind them. I stopped simply coming down with perfect file, since I assumed that whilst Counsell had an inferior roster to the different two groups, they handled a little bit extra hardship with the pitching accidents. I’d had been excellent with Counsell successful simply as I’d had been Roberts. It used to be a difficult name on easy methods to kind them.

It used to be no longer, alternatively, a difficult name to vote for Snitker, Roberts and Counsell over the relaxation of the managers. Those 3 stood head and shoulders above everybody else this season, personally.