Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts finished the 2026 regular season without an ejection, marking the first time in his career he has done so.
The Roberts has 14 ejections in 11 seasons as Dodgers manager, including a career high of three in 2021. He was thrown out twice in 2016 and 2025, in addition to once from 2017-20 and 2022-24.
The Dodgers’ skipper joked that he has become wiser with age. But in reality, he attributed his lack of ejections to a recent MLB rule change.
“I think the ABS system has helped. I think a lot of times managers get thrown out because they’re protecting their players with the ball-strikes,” Roberts said on SportsNet LA. “Now we have the opportunity to challenge, so if you don’t like it, then challenge. I do think that’s been a big part of it.
“My assumption is there haven’t been as many ejections as there have been in years past.”
The Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system came with its own growing pains for the Dodgers, but the implementation has been an overall success for MLB.
The Dodgers struggled with efficiency and situational awareness with ABS challenges at certain points this season, which called for the implementation of new team guidelines. Roberts had cited needing to have an understanding of the situation in order to determine if a challenge should be used.
It is sure to become even more of an emphasis now that the team in is the postseason.
Dodgers batters finished the regular season with the ninth-best challenge success rate at 51% in 159 chances. On defense, the Dodgers ranked 16th in challenge success rate at 58% in 151 chances.
Dave Roberts ties record for 100-win seasons
The Dodgers closed out the 2026 regular season by defeating the San Francisco Giants in extra innings to secure the series sweep and win their 100th game of the season.
That was the sixth time in his career that Roberts has led his team to the century mark in a season, along with 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023. He joined Hall of Famers Bobby Cox and Joe McCarthy as the only skippers in MLB history to have six 100-win seasons.
Roberts is also moving toward the MLB record for most wins in the postseason and has a chance to set that record by the end of 2027. He currently ranks third with 69 playoff wins.
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