Nationals GM Mike Rizzo: Dave Martinez Deserved More Manager of the Year Votes

The Washington Nationals won the World Series last year, but general manager Mike Rizzo thinks there should have been another addition to the trophy case. 

"This guy was fifth in the Manager of the Year voting?" Rizzo said of manager Dave Martinez on The Sports Junkies (h/t Ethan Cadeaux of NBC Sports Washington). "What league were they watching?"

Martinez finished in fifth place in the National League Manager of the Year voting behind St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Shildt, Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell, Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker and Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, respectively.

"I do believe that Dave Martinez did not get nearly the credit he deserved for guiding that team to win the World Series," Rizzo said

While he didn't win the award, Martinez had an incredible season from the dugout.

His Nationals were 12 games under .500 following a fifth straight loss on May 23, 2019, and appeared well on their way to a lost campaign. They then ripped off nine wins in their next 11 games and gradually worked their way back into the National League East race.

They finished in second place behind the Atlanta Braves but defeated Counsell's Brewers in the NL Wild Card Game, Roberts' Dodgers in the Divisional Series and Shildt's Cardinals in the National League Championship Series before defeating the Houston Astros in the World Series.

That Martinez steamrolled his way through three of the coaches who beat him out for the Manager of the Year award in the postseason is surely fitting in Rizzo's eyes.

"If he wasn't the best manager in the [National League] out of anybody, then I haven't been around long enough," Rizzo said. "The skipper on the Cardinals won it, good manager, but he didn't have the year Davey had. He wasn't the manager Davey was for about four-and-a-half months and then through the playoffs."

The fact the award is a regular-season one and didn't account for Martinez's postseason success undercut his chances, but he reached the mountaintop every manager is trying to get to at the start of every season.

That is a much more worthwhile prize.