Gabe Kapler is the National League’s Manager of the Year.
The Giants’ manager won 28 of 30 first-place votes from Baseball Writers Association of America members. It’s Kapler’s first Manager of the Year award and the first time a Giants manager won it since Dusty Baker in 2000 (Baker also won it in 1993 and 1997).
Milwaukee’s Craig Counsell finished second and St. Louis’ Mike Shildt placed third in the voting.
Bruce Bochy, Kapler’s predecessor, announced the distinction.
“It certainly is an extra special honor to hear Bochy make that announcement. He’s been so gracious to me from the moment I came to San Francisco. That means a lot to me…It certainly feels good to be recognized for good work.”
The regular season award is often handed to the manager who leads the team that exceeds the most expectations. The franchise-record 107-win Giants were pegged in the preseason as National League west bottom-feeders. PECOTA’s projections pegged SF as a 75-win team with a 0% chance at winning the division.
Kapler’s role in giving the Giants a new direction earned him a two-year contract extension that will keep him in San Francisco through 2024.
“The results speak for themselves,” general manager Scott Harris said. “I think Kap’s pregame preparation is excellent, but what makes Kap special is his commitment to make adjustments to new information from coaches, players and what the game is telling him. I think he brings a competitive advantage to our dugout every time he steps out there and I think he’s a huge reason why we won 107 games.”
The Giants hired Kapler in 2019 to much disappointment from the fanbase. In two years with Kapler as the manager in Philadelphia, the Phillies went 161-163 before firing the skipper. It was his first go at managing, and Kapler was criticized for an over-reliance on analytics and mismanagement of the bullpen as his clubs underachieved.
Before Philadelphia, Kapler served as the director of player development with the Dodgers, where he worked closely with Farhan Zaidi. But also in that role, Kapler came under scrutiny for mishandling sexual assault allegations directed at his players.
So when Kapler was introduced as the Giants manager on Nov. 13, 2019, many of the questions fired at Kapler and Zaidi were pointed at his controversial past. The Associated Press lede paragraph describing Kapler’s introduction to the Giants: “Gabe Kapler might need years to match the popularity of his predecessors with the San Francisco Giants.”
In his first year with San Francisco, the Giants went 29-31 in the shortened season, narrowly missing the playoffs. It marked SF’s fourth straight losing season, but the seeds of improvement were planted. In 2021, the Giants shocked the baseball world by going 107-55 in the regular season before losing in Game 5 of the NLDS to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Kapler’s success at the helm of the Giants doesn’t negate previous mistakes, but Kapler’s now earned a distinction that his last two predecessors — Bochy and Felipe Alou — never did in San Francisco.
On MLB Network’s award show, Kapler said one of the ways he’s improved since Philadelphia was including players in their development plans and decision-making more. Kapler acknowledged veterans like Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, Evan Longoria and Kevin Gausman for their buy-in during the season.
With the Giants, Kapler helped cultivate a culture cognizant of mental health. He built the largest coaching staff in MLB and led a preparation system designed on more game-speed simulating and high-intensity reps. He was aggressive in lineup construction and in-game decisions to get matchup advantages, both at the plate and with the bullpen.
Kapler has repeatedly said the Giants were one of the most unselfish groups he’s ever been around. San Francisco set the MLB record for pinch-hit home runs (18) in a season. They also had the lowest bullpen ERA (2.99) in baseball.
The Giants played at least .600 ball in every month of the season, a product of Kapler’s — and the veteran players’ — even-keeled personalities.
Even though many of the Giants’ key players are aging, Kapler and the front office have laid a foundation that sets the franchise up well for the future. At least the BBWAA thinks so.
