Gabe Kapler, who guided the Giants to a franchise-record 107 victories, was named National League Manager of the Year. Kapler jumped from eighth place on the 2020 ballot to the top spot in 2021.
This marks the fourth time a San Francisco manager has been honored. Dusty Baker won three times as Giants manager, in 1993, 1997 and 2000. The Giants’ victory total this year is the most of any National League Manager of the Year, topping the 103 by Baker in 1993. The overall record is 116 victories by American League winner Lou Piniella with the Seattle Mariners in 2001.
Craig Counsell was the runner-up in the voting for the third time. He also placed second in 2018 and 2019. The record for runner-up finishes is five and shared by Tony La Russa, a four-time winner, and Ron Gardenhire, who won the award once. Art Howe, who never won the award, placed second in the AL four years in a row with the Oakland Athletics from 1999-2002.
No manager was named on every ballot.
Ballots, submitted prior to postseason play, were cast by two writers representing each league city. They are tabulated on a system that awards five points for first place, three points for second place and one point for third place.
2021 NL Manager of the Year
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gabe Kapler, Giants | 28 | 1 | 143 | |
| Craig Counsell, Brewers | 1 | 22 | 4 | 75 |
| Mike Shildt, Cardinals | 1 | 3 | 11 | 25 |
| Brian Snitker, Braves | 4 | 9 | 21 | |
| Dave Roberts, Dodgers | 6 | 6 |
Below is a breakdown of the 30 individual ballots, submitted by two writers representing each city in the National League. For more information on the voting, see our Voting FAQ.
| Name | Affiliation | Chapter | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JJ Cooper | Baseball America | ATL | Kapler | Counsell | Snitker |
| David O'Brien | The Athletic | ATL | Kapler | Snitker | Counsell |
| David Brandt | The Associated Press | AZ | Kapler | Counsell | Snitker |
| Barry M. Bloom | Sportico | AZ | Kapler | Counsell | Roberts |
| Eugene McIntosh | The Bigs Media | CHI | Kapler | Shildt | Counsell |
| Paul Sullivan | Chicago Tribune | CHI | Kapler | Counsell | Roberts |
| Mitch Stacy | The Associated Press | CIN | Shildt | Counsell | Snitker |
| Matt Snyder | CBS Sports | CIN | Kapler | Counsell | Snitker |
| Pat Graham | Associated Press | COL | Kapler | Counsell | Roberts |
| Nick Groke | The Athletic | COL | Counsell | Kapler | Shildt |
| Greg Beacham | Associated Press | LA | Kapler | Counsell | Roberts |
| Beth Harris | Associated Press | LA | Kapler | Counsell | Roberts |
| Mari Montes | El Extrabase | MIA | Kapler | Snitker | Shildt |
| Steven Wine | Associated Press (ret.) | MIA | Kapler | Shildt | Counsell |
| Andrew Wagner | Wisconsin State Journal / Forbes Sports | MIL | Kapler | Counsell | Snitker |
| Robert Murray | FanSided | MIL | Kapler | Counsell | Shildt |
| David Lennon | NY Newsday | NY | Kapler | Counsell | Shildt |
| Mark Feinsand | MLB.com | NY | Kapler | Counsell | Snitker |
| Jack McCaffery | Delaware County Daily Times | PHI | Kapler | Snitker | Roberts |
| Corey Seidman | NBC Sports Philadelphia | PHI | Kapler | Counsell | Shildt |
| Jake Crouse | MLB.com | PIT | Kapler | Counsell | Shildt |
| Stephen J. Nesbitt | The Athletic | PIT | Kapler | Counsell | Shildt |
| Bernie Wilson | Associated Press | SD | Kapler | Counsell | Shildt |
| Jeff Sanders | San Diego Union-Tribune.com | SD | Kapler | Shildt | Snitker |
| Maria Guardado | MLB.com | SF | Kapler | Counsell | Shildt |
| Daniel Brown | The Athletic | SF | Kapler | Snitker | Counsell |
| Benjamin Hochman | St. Louis Post-Dispatch | STL | Kapler | Counsell | Shildt |
| Jeff Jones | Belleville News-Democrat | STL | Kapler | Counsell | Shildt |
| Gabe Lacques | USA Today | WAS | Kapler | Counsell | Snitker |
| Todd Dybas | At-large | WAS | Kapler | Counsell | Snitker |