Gabe Kapler's two years as Phillies manager were marred with late-season collapses, as Philadelphia went 61-78 after the All-Star Break during his stint as their manager.
The second-half struggles, in many ways, defined Kapler's time with the Phillies, with managing partner John Middleton citing them as a major reason in his decision to overrule his front office and dismiss Kapler before the final year of his contract.
We say that to say this -- there doesn't appear to be a second-half collapse coming for Kapler this time around, as his San Francisco Giants lead baseball's most competitive division.
Since the All-Star Break, the Giants are 20-10. On the season, they are 77-42, four games better than the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers, who have the second-most wins in baseball at 73.
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While Kapler's Phillies teams went from midseason playoff contenders to .500 finishers -- or thereabouts -- the 2021 Giants have as good of a chance as anyone in the league to win over 100 games. The .647 winning percentage that the Giants have through their first 119 games puts them on pace to win 104.8 games in 2021. FanGraphs currently projects that the Giants, like the Dodgers, will finish at 100-62. ESPN says that the Giants have a 99.8% chance to reach the postseason in 2021.
Mind you, this is a Giants team that entered the season with a 75.5 over/under in terms of wins, a number that they've already surpassed in mid-August.
What's been behind the team's special season? Buster Posey, Evan Longoria and the recently-extended Brandon Crawford have all had career resurgences. Posey and Crawford were All-Stars for the first time since 2018. Former National League MVP Kris Bryant has hit .321 since being acquired before last month's trade deadline. The team has gotten tremendous contributions from role players, like Darin Ruf, Wilmer Flores and LaMonte Wade. Kevin Gausman and Anthony DeSciafani may both finish in the top 10 in National League Cy Young Award voting this year.
Certainly, Kapler -- reunited with Farhan Zaidi -- has been better set up for success in San Francisco than he was in either of his seasons as Phillies manager. In the end, though, Kapler has won the respect of a veteran-heavy team. For those who wondered if he may burn out quickly in San Francisco, yours truly included, quite the opposite seems to be transpiring. Kapler may unanimously win the National League Manager of the Year Award in 2021. And two years after winning just 77 games, Kapler has the Giants playing like a legitimate World Series contender.
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