2019 National League Manager Rankings
Every year around this time, Off the Bench publishes our annual manager ranking. This is a tradition that goes all the way back to 2012 and, though it has morphed a bit over the years, has continued ever since. You can find our 2013 rankings here as well. In 2014, things changed a little bit as I, clearly with too much time on my hands, both ranked and graded all of Major League Baseball’s managers. Since then, we’ve gone with the grading approach since it offers a little more nuance and avoids silly arguments about why one guy is one or two spots higher than another. I tried it for the first time before the 2016 season which you can find here and here
As with the last couple years, I’m going to divide up the AL and NL manager lists. You can find 2017’s AL manager rankings/ grading here and the NL manager ranking/ grading here. Last year’s AL ranks are here and the NL ranks are here.
This post, if you can’t tell from the title, will be the National League manager ranking / grading. The AL is here.
As in the past, grades are on an A-F scale, with A reserved for only the cream of the managerial crop and F standing in for ‘Should be Fired.’ Additionally, I won’t offer any score for first time managers, but if a guy has managed elsewhere in the majors he’s fair game, even if this will be his first season with his current team.
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
Dave Martinez, Washington Nationals: Things did not go well in Davey Martinez’s first season. The Nationals were expected to contend for the World Series but they missed the playoffs all together and didn’t even put up much of a fight. There were a lot of things that went wrong in DC, but Martinez didn’t live up to expectations. Grade: D+
Don Mattingly, Miami Marlins: The Marlins traded away the last two NL MVP’s, and that doesn’t make life easy for Mattingly. He also has to deal with the transition to the Derek Jeter ownership group, discontent with the franchise in the city of Miami, and the fact that his roster sucks. At least next year he’ll have new uniforms and a slightly more interesting logo. Grade: B-
Brian Snitker, Atlanta Braves: Snitker was made the interim manager in 2016 after Freddie Gonzales was fired and managed the team full time in 2017. In 2018, the Braves took a huge step forward under him and won the NL East. Snitker was rewarded with Manager of the Year honors. Let’s see if he can replicate the success in 2019. Grade: B+
Mickey Callaway, New York Mets: It was a rough 2018 in Queens and Callaway got a ton of flack form the New York media early in the season. It looked like he might not even make it through the year for a while. Luckily, things normalized and Callaway got his feet under him. Next year, he’ll have a lot more talent to work with so it’ll be an important and instructive season. Grade: C+
Gabe Kapler, Philadelphia Phillies: Kapler had a very weird year- things started and ended terribly but were great in between. Kapler’s unorthodox approach has largely been vindicated and I think he’s well liked, but the rocky start and collapse in September don’t leave a great taste in your mouth. Grade: C+
NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
Joe Maddon, Chicago Cubs: 95 wins resulted in a Wild Card berth for the Cubs in 2018. It was a disappointment for such a talented group. Maddon has reportedly worn his welcome a little bit thin with Cubs management so 2019 will be really interesting for a guy who has long earned a reputation as one of the best in the league. Grade: A
Craig Counsell, Milwaukee Brewers: Counsell turned one of baseball’s moribund teams into a bonafide playoff contender in 2017. He followed that up with 96 wins, a division title, and an NLCS berth on the strength of some really innovative bullpen management. Counsell squeezed every possible win out of the roster he was given, and that’s the mark of a great manager. Grade: A
Mike Shildt, St. Louis Cardinals: Mike Matheny was finally fired mid-season in 2018, turning the team over to Shildt. After the change, the Cards vaulted back into contention and finished the season strong. It’s unclear if the improvement was a result of Shildt’s leadership or just getting Matheny out of there, but we’ll find out in 2019
Clint Hurdle, Pittsburgh Pirates: Hurdle will always be a Pittsburgh hero for leading the Pirates out of their two decade stretch of futility and into the playoffs, but that accomplishment is shrinking farther and farther into the past. How long will Clint be able to live off of past accomplishments? Grade: C+
David Bell, Cincinnati Reds: David Bell has been hired to replace Bryan Price, the only recipient of an F grade in last year’s rankings. With some big moves this offseason, the Reds seem to be interested in putting a contender on the field next year so we’ll see what Bell can do. Grade: N/A
NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
Dave Roberts, Los Angeles Dodgers: Roberts has to be the most divisive manager on this list. Some people think he’s a genius and some think he’s a dunce who should be fired for bungling the playoffs this past year. The Dodgers themselves don’t seem to know how they feel about Roberts; they waited a long time before deciding to extend his contract this winter. While LA decided to keep their manager, 2018, despite a second straight World Series appearance, was definitely not his best. The Dodgers won 92 games in the regular season and struggled to get that far, before turning things on in the playoffs and winning another pennant. They got rolled by the Red Sox though, and Roberts made some questionable decisions. The nitpicking over Roberts really reflects the expectations for LA. Grade: B+
Torey Lovullo, Arizona Diamondbacks: Lovullo was great in his first season but an 80-82 showing in year 2 was a disappointment. Arizona had a lot of injury issues but now without some of their most talented (and expensive) pieces in other uniforms next season, year 3 might not be much better. Grade: B
Bud Black, Colorado Rockies: I was highly critical of Black’s hiring in previous manager rankings as the Rockies seemed to go with the most inside the box manager imaginable, but Black has done a very good job in his first two years in Colorado. It’ll be tough to hang with LA but 91 wins and a Wild Card spot is pretty good for last year. Grade: B
Andy Green, San Diego Padres: Green’s first crack at managing didn’t go very well; his 2016 team lost 94 games. His second crack didn’t go much better; the 2017 Padres lost 91. His third didn’t go that great either; the Padres lost 96 games. Sure, he doesn’t have a great roster to work with, but he sure isn’t doing anything with it. Is he on the hot seat this year? Grade: C-
Bruce Bochy, San Fransisco Giants: 2019 is shaping up to be the most interesting and strange of Bochy’s tenure in San Fransisco. After a terrible, 89-loss 2018, the Giants have a new GM, a new president of baseball ops, and are considering a massive rebuild. That Bochy survived the house cleaning is a testament to the respect he has in the organization and around the league. Grade: B+
-Max Frankel
