2023 MLB Awards: Ranking NL Manager of the Year Candidates

Dave Roberts, Skip Schumaker, Craig Counsell, and Brian Snitker are all worthy candidates for the 2023 National League Manager of the Year Award, but who will win the award?

Jack Vita | Oct 5, 2023

2023 MLB Awards: Ranking NL Manager of the Year Candidates /

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The 2023 Major League Baseball regular season has reached its conclusion and MLB awards season is quickly approaching.

As a part of our 2023 MLB award selections, here are our top five National League Manager of the Year Award candidates:

5) Skip Schumaker, Miami Marlins

In his first year as a Major League manager, Skip Schumaker returned the Miami Marlins to the postseason for the first time in a full, 162-game season since 2003. Traditionally, managers whose teams exceed preseason expectations are rewarded by the press, so Schumaker has a very good chance of winning this award. But the Marlins barely squeaked into the playoffs, winning 84 games, thanks largely in part to the collapse of the Chicago Cubs. You can't take anything away from Schumaker's success; we just thought there are a few candidates with stronger cases for the award.

4) Rob Thomson, Philadelphia Phillies

Since taking over a 22-29 team midway through last season, the Fightin' Phils are 155-118 under Thomson. In his first half-season, Thomson led the Philadelphia Phillies to an NL Pennant, their first since 2009. In 2023, the Phillies avoided a World Series hangover and got even better, winning three more games than they did a season ago, and claiming the NL's top Wild Card spot.

3) Brian Snitker, Atlanta Braves

With one of the greatest lineups in baseball history, the Atlanta Braves posted their highest win total in a season since 1998, tallying 104 wins this season. The manager of the best team in baseball is certainly a worthy candidate.

2) Dave Roberts, Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers had a relatively quiet offseason as the club bid farewell to Trea Turner, Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger and others. The Dodgers slashed its payroll by nearly $50 million resulting in some expectations that Los Angeles would take a step backwards. Dave Roberts' club won 100 games for the fourth-straight year (excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 season) and their 10th division title in 11 seasons.

1) Craig Counsell, Milwaukee Brewers

If this does in fact end up being Craig Counsell's final year with the Milwaukee Brewers, what a season it would be to go out on! Many expected the Brewers to regress in 2023, with Corbin Burnes, Willy Adames and Brandon Woodruff's names appearing in trade rumors last winter. Milwaukee won 92 games on their way to another NL Central division title, their third in the last six years. It's hard to believe that in nine years as the Brewers manager, Counsell has yet to win a Manager of the Year Award. This should be his year.

Published Oct 5, 2023

JACK VITA

Jack Vita is a writer and contributor to Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies, and host of the Jack Vita Show, a popular sports podcast available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and wherever podcasts are found. Jack is a 2017 graduate of Valparaiso University, in northwest Indiana. Since completing his degree, Jack has created his own independent sports media outlet (JackVita.com) and podcast (the Jack Vita Show). He has featured prominent guests from the worlds of sports and entertainment including Brian Urlacher, Scot Pollard, Bob Nightengale, Dan O'Dowd, and Survivor icons Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick, Cirie Fields, Danni Boatwright and "the Dragon Slayer", Coach Benjamin Wade. While studying at Valparaiso, Jack was the school newspaper's beat writer for the Valpo Crusaders men's basketball team, which won three straight Horizon League championships from 2015-2017. Traveling to cover the team, Jack had a front row seat to one of the nation's best mid-major teams, headlined by future NBA Draft pick Alec Peters and coached by NCAA Tournament hero Bryce Drew. Jack hosted a weekly sports radio show and provided play-by-play and color commentary services for ESPN 3 and the university's student radio station, WVUR-FM, 95.1 The Source, covering Valparaiso men's soccer, women's basketball, softball and volleyball. Jack also covered these sports, in addition to men's and women's tennis, baseball and women's soccer for the school newspaper, The Torch. While he was in college, Jack interned for and co-hosted Jewell On Sports, a sports radio program on AM 1050 WLIP in Kenosha, Wisconsin. There, he interviewed various pro athletes such as Ahman Green, Javon Walker and Javier Arenas, in addition to talking sports with the late, great Brad Jewell. Jack also interned for 22nd Century Media, a now defunct newspaper corporation that provided news to the North Shore of Chicago. With 22nd Century Media, Jack wrote post-game recaps, feature stories about local athletes, reviews of local restaurants and compiled the newspaper's "Pet of the Week" and "Athlete of the Week" sections, while providing copy-editing services. Before attending Valparaiso, Jack enrolled at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he studied for two years before transferring. He is a high school graduate of New Trier Township High School in Winnetka, Illinois. You can follow Jack on Twitter @JackVitaShow, subscribe to his podcast, the Jack Vita Show, wherever podcasts are found, and reach him via email at jack@jackvita.com.