Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager was named the 2016 Sporting News National League Rookie of the Year on Monday, making him the first Dodgers in 21 years to be honored with this title. Also, Dodgers player Dave Roberts was named the 2016 Sporting News National League Manager of the Year on Monday, perhaps foreshadowing of the possible win of the BBWAA (Baseball Writers’ Association of America) award next month.

The Sporting News awards are voted on by players, and this year’s competitors were Dodgers player Corey Seager, Nationals player Trea Turner, Dodgers player Kenta Maeda, and Rockies player Trevor Story. Seager won NL Rookie of the Year by a landslide, with him being selected on 143 of 176 ballots. Turner was second with 15 votes, followed by Maedea with six votes and Story with only five votes. This season, Seager hit 40 doubles and 26 home runs, setting the LA Dodgers rookie records in hits (193), runs scored (105), doubles and total bases (321). He was without a doubt the team’s best hitter this year while playing a premium defensive position. Also, Seager received a lot of NL MVP votes as well.

This year’s managers competing for the title were Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, Cubs manager Joe Maddon, Nationals manager Dusty Baker, and Mets manager Terry Collins. Roberts took the lead with seven out of 14 votes from NL managers. Maddon and Baker were both tied for second with three votes each, and Collins, in last place, received only one vote. Roberts is the first Dodgers manager to be honored by The Sporting News since Walt Alston in 1963. The Dodgers won their fourth consecutive division title in 2016, but it was a rocky start in Roberts’ first season. He saw Clayton Kershaw miss ten weeks with a herniated disc back and the Dodgers set a new MLB record with 28 different players having played on the disabled list. After receiving his award on Monday, Roberts said, “To get recognized is a great honor…I can’t tell you how much support I’ve gotten in the first year. The title says manager of the year, but it’s a team and organization award for me” (www.trubluela.com).

Next month, as the Baseball Writers Association of America award winners are revealed, the Dodgers hope to rack up some more awards for the team. Jaclyn Hilton (10) said, “I am very proud of my Dodgers for picking up these amazing honors and awards, and hopefully they can earn some more next month.”