It has been somewhat of an up-and-down managerial career for Dave Roberts and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He had been seemingly on the hot seat every single off-season, even though he has the highest winning percentage (.627) of any manager in MLB history.
Well, those “hot seat” talks have all officially ended after a masterclass in the playoffs last season, leading the Dodgers to a monumental World Series win.
Everyone would now argue that heading into the 2025 season, Dave Roberts could be considered the best manager in baseball, and there would be no doubt that he is in the top 5.
That is everyone but one MLB Network analyst.
Brian Kenny just recently released his Top 10 Managers in the MLB, and he shockingly has Dave Roberts ranked 9th.
Brian Kenny Ranks Dave Roberts As 9th Best MLB Manager
The only conceivable argument to having Roberts this low would be that he has the best roster in baseball, and so he benefits from that while other managers have to be more creative. This argument would not hold, however, considering all of the injuries that the Dodgers dealt with last season, forcing Roberts to almost reconstruct the roster daily.
Here is Kenny’s complete list:
- A.J. Hinch – Detroit
- Bruce Bochy – Texas
- Mike Shildt – San Diego
- Alex Cora – Boston
- Kevin Cash – Tampa Bay
- Brian Snitker – Atlanta
- Rob Thomson – Philadelphia
- Dave Martinez – Washington
- Dave Roberts – LAD
- Torey Lovullo – Arizona
A.J. Hinch being ranked 1st is understandable. He took a floundering Tigers team and sent them on a run that was one of the hottest in baseball, leading to the playoffs and a first-round win. But after that, I would be hard-pressed to put any manager over Roberts, especially seven others.
After more talent has been infused into the Dodgers lineup, Roberts will be tasked with becoming the first back-to-back World Series winner since the Yankees three-peated in 1998,1999, and 2000.
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