You didn’t need this article, nor did you need the announcement from MLB moments prior. The news is something you already knew, because it was obvious: San Francisco Giants skipper Gabe Kapler has been named the 2021 National League Manager of the Year.
Kapler was a lock for the award by the All-Star break. Despite most projections, analytical and otherwise, pegging the Giants for a losing season, the team won the most games in the Majors, setting a franchise record with 107 victories.
There’s no shortage of people to credit for that: they had four All-Stars (including the traded-for Kris Bryant), a Silver Slugger winner in Buster Posey, a Gold Glove winner (and likely many MVP votes-getter) in Brandon Crawford, and an Executive of the Year in Farhan Zaidi.