Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy has officially achieved a remarkable feat of 3-for-3 regarding the NL Manager of the Year. However, that accomplishment pales in comparison to his most significant achievement this season.
Just two weeks after steering Milwaukee to the franchise’s inaugural World Series triumph, Murphy made history as the first manager in MLB history to clinch the Manager of the Year Award for three consecutive seasons. Prior to this, only two other managers—Bobby Cox (2004-05) and Kevin Cash (2020-21)—had ever won the accolade twice in succession.
Remarkably, the 67-year-old Murphy accepted the honor from a hospital bed, sharing with MLB Network that he had recently undergone hip replacement surgery.
Murphy secured 20 out of 30 first-place votes from the BBWAA, surpassing finalists Don Mattingly from the Philadelphia Phillies and Walt Weiss from the Atlanta Braves. Weiss was the runner-up with seven first-place votes, whereas Mattingly received one first-place vote, and fourth-place finisher Craig Stammen of the San Diego Padres garnered two, both from the San Diego branch.
All votes are cast at the conclusion of the regular season, which indicates that the Brewers’ success in the postseason did not influence the voting outcomes. Murphy triumphed based on a regular season in which the Brewers achieved a franchise-record 103 victories.
In the American League, the award went to Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable following a remarkable revival on the South Side.
No manager in Brewers history had previously claimed a Manager of the Year award before Murphy took over in 2024. Since then, Murphy has amassed 74 out of 90 first-place votes for the Manager of the Year in the NL.
Pat Murphy’s period as Brewers manager has ushered in a golden era for the franchise
Murphy’s journey began under less than ideal circumstances. His appointment followed the departure of then-Brewers manager Craig Counsell, a Wisconsin native and one of the esteemed managers in the game, who left Milwaukee to sign with the division rival Chicago Cubs on a record-setting contract. This move left many Wisconsin residents dissatisfied.
The Brewers decided to promote Murphy, who had been the bench coach under Counsell. Up until that point, Murphy had amassed a wealth of coaching experience, largely within the college ranks (which ended amidst sanctions at Arizona State), along with various assistant roles with both the Brewers and San Diego Padres, and a brief interim period with the Padres where the team recorded a 42-54 record. In the early 1990s, Murphy also coached Counsell at Notre Dame.
At this stage, it’s undeniable that the Brewers are certainly on the winning side of that separation.
Milwaukee achieved 92 wins in Counsell’s final season in 2023, although their playoff journey concluded with a two-game sweep in the wild-card round. Following significant changes in player talent and front office personnel, the Brewers bounced back with 93 wins the following year. They celebrated a victory of 97 games in 2025 and advanced to the NLCS. The year 2026 proved to be even more successful than anyone could have anticipated.
Murphy has earned considerable recognition for this resurgence, wherein the small-market Brewers have evolved successfully in a dynamic league. The team’s roster has been carefully constructed, featuring a lineup that topped MLB in walks and a bullpen that was flexible enough to handle any needed innings. The Brewers have balanced traditional aspects of the game, such as bunting and stealing bases, with modern strategies like openers and platooning to address weaknesses in the roster.
It was Murphy’s challenge to ensure all these elements came together. His efforts were evidently fruitful.
It may finally be time to stop undervaluing the Brewers
While the joy of winning a trophy is undeniable, the Manager of the Year awards can sometimes feel more like a backhanded compliment.
After all, voters may not fully grasp the dynamics of every clubhouse. It’s often challenging for a voter stationed in one market to accurately assess how to attribute credit in another, especially in evaluating whether a roster was stacked enough to triumph regardless or if it truly required the right leadership. This challenge also extends to the question of whether it’s more remarkable to win 100 games with a strong lineup or to achieve 85 wins with a lacking one.
Consequently, the Manager of the Year is often viewed as a recognition for the team that most exceeded expectations, frequently referencing the results from the previous year (as evidenced by how Venable’s White Sox turned from 60 wins in 2025 to 84 this year). In simpler terms, “Wow, he succeeded with that roster?”
To put it succinctly, there’s a clear reason Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has only won the award once (during his inaugural season in 2016) despite achieving an MLB record-equalling six 100-win seasons. The Dodgers were anticipated to perform at that level.
In contrast, the Brewers were never expected to achieve anything of this magnitude. An annual ritual for Murphy and the Brewers involves expressing dissatisfaction with preseason projections that underestimate them as contenders, including one model that predicted they would only win 81 games this year. However, despite Murphy’s grievances, such projections highlight the rationale behind his consecutive Manager of the Year victories during his tenure.
People have long predicted the Brewers would taper off given the talent they’ve lost. Nevertheless, this season, they surpassed expectations, achieving a 103-win championship lineup, bolstered by one of the top farm systems in MLB. It stands to reason that the victories will persist for years, necessitating an adjustment in how expectations are framed.
