Mets' Showalter edges Roberts for NL Manager of the Year, 4th career win
Buck Showalter's return to New York City produced some history.
The New York Mets skipper was named National League Manager of the Year Tuesday, marking the fourth time he's won this honor in his career and the first time he's done so in the Senior Circuit. Showalter joins Hall of Famers Bobby Cox and Tony La Russa as the only four-time winners of this award. He's the first to win it with four different teams.
Showalter narrowly defeated Los Angeles Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts for the honor. Both received eight first-place votes, but Showalter prevailed with 77 points to Roberts' 57. Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker placed third. As in the American League vote, no manager was named on every ballot.
Here's the full voting breakdown from the Baseball Writers' Association of America:
| Manager | Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Showalter | Mets | 8 | 10 | 7 | 77 |
| Roberts | Dodgers | 8 | 4 | 5 | 57 |
| Snitker | Braves | 7 | 5 | 5 | 55 |
| Oliver Marmol | Cardinals | 5 | 4 | 7 | 44 |
| Rob Thomson | Phillies | 2 | 7 | 5 | 36 |
| Bob Melvin | Padres | 1 | 1 |
Showalter is also the first Mets skipper to win Manager of the Year since it was first awarded in 1983. His win leaves the Milwaukee Brewers as the last franchise to have never had a manager win it.
The 66-year-old proved to be just what the floundering Mets needed. Under his watch, New York returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2016, and its 101 wins marked the team's best season in 34 years. Showalter became the fifth manager to win 100 games in his first season with a team.
He's the eighth skipper to win the award in both leagues. His previous three wins came in the AL with the New York Yankees in 1994, the Texas Rangers in 2004, and the Baltimore Orioles in 2014.
Showalter amassed a 1,652-1,578 record over parts of 21 big-league seasons with five teams. Despite his regular-season success, postseason glory has eluded him, as he's never won a pennant or a World Series title.