Over his nine years as manager of the Dodgers, Dave Roberts has learned something about his position.
When the Dodgers win—and they have won more than any other team since 2016—it is never because of Roberts. It is rationalized as their resources and payroll and their sophisticated front office that brings together the star power that makes winning inevitable.
But when the Dodgers lose, the blame falls on Roberts more than anyone else. He took the pitcher out too soon, brought in the wrong reliever, was too wedded to analytics or was not guided enough by analytics.
“I’ve learned to have thicker skin and try to appreciate the fact that there’s always going to be criticism—maybe more jaded at times,” Roberts said this fall. “But it is a results business, and I get that.”
It is absolutely a results business. And Roberts got the results in 2024. Despite losing top players Mookie Betts and Max Muncy for months at a time and being saddled with more pitching injuries than any other team in MLB this year, Roberts guided the Dodgers to the best record in baseball.
Los Angeles’ 98 wins were actually low by their standards. The last time the Dodgers failed to break 100 in a full season was 2018.
This story is from the December 2024/January 2025 edition of Baseball America.
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This story is from the December 2024/January 2025 edition of Baseball America.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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