Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell voted as the best manager in a Baseball America survey
Tom HaudricourtSAN FRANCISCO - Baseball America came out with its annual Best Tools list Tuesday, a survey of managers, coaches and executives regarding the players who rate their best at their crafts in each league.
That survey was suspended last year because of the pandemic-shortened season but the Brewers fared well in the 2021 list in the National League.
Manager Craig Counsell was named best manager, ranking ahead of Los Angeles’ Dave Roberts and San Diego’s Jayce Tingler. Josh Hader was voted best reliever, placing ahead of Chicago’s Craig Kimbrel (now with the White Sox) and the Dodgers’ Kenley Jansen. And, not surprisingly, Kolten Wong was voted the best defensive second baseman, ahead of San Diego’s Jake Cronenworth and Atlanta’s Ozzie Albies.
Counsell is the longest-tenured active manager with the same team in the National League. He has been the Brewers' manager since May 2015. Counsell has the Brewers in position to win the National League Central Division for the second time in four seasons and return to the playoffs for the fourth straight year, something that has never happened in club history.
Hader is a three-time All-Star and two-time NL Reliever of the Year. He has 28 saves this season and a 1.51 ERA.
Wong is in his first season with the Brewers after spending the first seven years of his career in St. Louis.
Brewers pitchers Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes and Devin Williams, and outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. also rank high
Other Brewers who ranked in the top three were Brandon Woodruff, voted as the third best pitcher behind New York’s Jacob deGrom and Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler, and having the third-best fastball behind deGrom and LA’s Walker Buehler. Corbin Burnes was voted to have the second-best control behind Chicago’s Kyle Hendricks and ahead of deGrom.
In a bit of a surprise that he wasn’t first, 2020 NL Reliever of the Year Devin Williams ranked second in the best changeup category behind Cincinnati’s Luis Castillo, with Miami’s Pablo Lopez third.
Jackie Bradley Jr. ranked second as best defensive outfielder, behind Washington’s Victor Robles and ahead of St. Louis’ Harrison Bader.