Sep 19, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) hugs manager Dave Roberts (30) as he is relieved during the fifth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Dodgers' Dave Roberts Predicted to Finish 2nd in Manager of the Year Race

Originally posted on Los Angeles Dodgers on SI
By Valentina Martinez | Last updated Sep 25, 2025 8:00 PM ET

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has the highest winning percentage of any MLB skipper in baseball history.

Since Roberts became the Dodgers manager ahead of the 2016 season, LA has won the division every season with the exception of 2021.

And yet, Roberts has won Manager of the Year only once.

In 2016, the Dodgers endured a slew of injuries with a record-setting 28 players landing on the injured list. Nevertheless, Roberts was able to get the Dodgers to the National League Championship Series, winning their fourth consecutive NL West title in the process.

The Dodgers have won two World Series titles in the span of five years, in 2020 and 2024, but Roberts did not earn another Manager of the Year award for his efforts.

This season, The Athletic's Jim Bowden will also be the case as Roberts is predicted to fall short of the accolade once again.

"Murphy is going to win the NL Manager of the Year for the great job he’s done with his Brewers team that presently has the best record in baseball," Bowden writes. "He’s done an excellent job developing Milwaukee’s best young players and certainly got the most out of this year’s acquisitions, which include right-hander Quinn Priester and first baseman/designated hitter Andrew Vaughn. He instills confidence in his players and seems to always know when to motivate and when to discipline.

"Roberts has done an excellent job with all the injuries to his starting rotation and all over the diamond, as well as the underperformance of his corner outfielders. His bullpen has been a real challenge, which will make the postseason even more fascinating when we see how he utilizes his staff. There is no one who cares more about his players than Roberts, and he has built an incredible culture in the Dodgers clubhouse."

While the Dodgers clinched the division for the fourth year in a row Thursday in Arizona, Roberts has been under fire for his use of the bullpen throughout the season.

The Dodgers bullpen has a collective 4.34 ERA, one of the worst marks in the majors this season. Roberts, like every season in his tenure as Dodgers manager, will be criticized for every decision made in the postseason.

It'll be interesting to see how Roberts manages the bullpen given the unit's ongoing struggles. Perhaps, Clayton Kershaw, Roki Sasaki and Emmet Sheehan will be Roberts' secret weapons in late-game situations.