LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers have secured the future leadership of their team by signing two-time World Series champion manager Dave Roberts to a four-year contract extension, running through 2029.
Entering his 10th season with the Dodgers, 52-year-old Roberts boasts the highest winning percentage in Major League history at .627 (851-507). He set a franchise record with 111 victories in 2022. Under his leadership, the Dodgers triumphed in the 2024 World Series, winning 11 of their 16 postseason games. Roberts is one of only three active managers to have won multiple World Series titles (2020, 2024), alongside Bruce Bochy and Terry Francona. His 56 postseason victories rank second among active managers (Bochy, 57) and sixth all-time. Roberts joins the exclusive list of managers with five 100+ win seasons, including Bobby Cox, Joe McCarthy, Connie Mack, and Earl Weaver.
Roberts has made history as the third Dodger manager to win more than one World Series, joining Hall of Famers Walter Alston (1955, 1959, 1963, 1965) and Tommy Lasorda (1981, 1988). The 2016 Manager of the Year has led the Dodgers to the playoffs in each of his first nine seasons, a National League record, winning four NL pennants and eight NL West titles. His 106 wins in 2021 are the most for a second-place finisher in MLB history. Born in Okinawa, Japan, Roberts is the only Asian-American manager to win the World Series and one of only two Black managers to do so, along with Cito Gaston of Toronto.
“We could not be more thrilled about continuing our long-running partnership with Dave,” said Andrew Friedman, President of Baseball Operations for the Dodgers. “As we’ve preached time and time again, continuity and stability are staples of this organization, and we are incredibly excited that this agreement allows us to maintain our focus of working together towards bringing more championships to Los Angeles. Dave’s leadership both on the field and in the clubhouse elevates those around him and allows our players to go and perform at an elite level night in and night out. He has become a strong presence in the community and represents all the best qualities of our organization.”
“I am excited and grateful to continue this great journey with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the best organization in sports,” said Roberts. “Building my relationships with the players – and the fans – has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and it’s a privilege I do not take lightly. I would like to thank Dodger ownership and management for giving me the opportunity to work toward more World Series titles for the Dodgers.”
Roberts became the first manager of color in Dodgers history on November 23, 2015, following a 10-year MLB playing career in which he hit .266/.342/.366 with 243 stolen bases in 301 attempts (.807) for Cleveland, the Dodgers, Boston, San Diego, and San Francisco. As a Dodger, Roberts batted .262/.342/.341 with 118 steals in 143 attempts, and his success rate on steals of .825 ranks second all-time for the franchise (minimum 100 attempts) behind Davey Lopes. In 2004, Roberts executed one of the most famous steals in postseason history, swiping second base for the Red Sox against the Yankees in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4 of the American League Championship Series. He then scored the tying run to ignite Boston’s unprecedented comeback from a 3-0 series deficit to win the seven-game ALCS.
