During the BBWAA’s awards announcements on Tuesday evening, Pat Murphy of the Brewers and Will Venable of the Chicago White Sox were selected as Managers of the Year in their respective leagues. With this honor, Murphy became the first skipper in history to claim the award across three straight years.
A panel of 30 Baseball Writers Association of America members—comprising two journalists from each Major League Baseball franchise market per league—decides these yearly honors, which encompass Manager of the Year, Reliever of the Year, Cy Young, and Most Valuable Player. Ballots were gathered prior to the start of postseason play, ensuring the results reflect strictly regular-season performance.
National League: Milwaukee’s Pat Murphy
The Baseball Writers Association of America revealed Tuesday that Pat Murphy, who led the Milwaukee Brewers to a World Series title, secured the National League Manager of the Year award. He stands as the sole manager to capture the distinction in three back-to-back seasons, while joining an elite group of ten skippers who have earned the title three times throughout their careers.
Voting for BBWAA accolades occurs in the brief window between the close of the regular schedule and the postseason’s opening game. Because these selections evaluate regular-season efforts exclusively, Milwaukee’s championship run was not considered in the voting process.
Even without their October triumphs, Murphy’s resume for the honor was undeniable. He steered the mid-market Brewers to a league-leading 103-59 record alongside a MLB-topping +214 run differential over the regular campaign, capturing their fourth straight NL Central crown in the process. The 103 victories set an all-time franchise mark and represented the highest win total in MLB since 2023.
| Pat Murphy, Brewers | 20 | 7 | 3 | 124 |
| Walt Weiss, Braves | 7 | 16 | 3 | 86 |
| Don Mattingly, Phillies | 1 | 3 | 11 | 25 |
| Craig Stammen, Padres | 2 | 1 | 11 | 24 |
| Dave Roberts, Dodgers | 2 | 1 | 7 | |
| Craig Counsell, Cubs | 1 | 3 | ||
| Don Kelly, Pirates | 1 | 1 |
In finishing his third campaign guiding Milwaukee, Murphy has claimed the Manager of the Year award in every year of his tenure. Previously, only Bobby Cox (2004-05), Kevin Cash (2020-21), and Stephen Vogt (2024-25) had secured back-to-back victories. Vogt did not make the top tier of finalists in the American League voting this year.
Before Murphy’s historic three-year run, no manager in Milwaukee franchise history had ever claimed the honor. He has now taken home the prize in all three seasons leading the team.
Walt Weiss of the Atlanta Braves and Don Mattingly of the Philadelphia Phillies trailed Murphy in the vote tally. Mattingly assumed leadership in Philadelphia on an interim basis following Rob Thomson’s dismissal on April 28, driving the team to the fourth-best record in MLB during his reign. Meanwhile, Weiss directed Atlanta to the top of the NL East division.
American League: Will Venable of the White Sox
The Baseball Writers Association of America announced Tuesday that Will Venable earned American League Manager of the Year honors after orchestrating a dramatic 24-win turnaround and bringing Chicago back to the playoffs for the first time since 2021. Venable finished ahead of Kevin Cash of the Tampa Bay Rays and Chad Tracy of the Boston Red Sox.
Chicago posted an 84-78 record in 2026, building upon a 60-102 campaign in 2025 and a disastrous 41-121 mark in 2024—the most losses in a single season of baseball’s Modern Era (post-1900). Under Venable, the White Sox became the first franchise in Major League history to punch a playoff ticket directly following consecutive seasons with 100 or more losses (including a 101-loss effort in 2023).
This remarkable trajectory proved decisive in earning Venable the award. After stepping into the role in 2025, he engineered a 19-game leap that first year before adding another 24 victories to the total this past season. Chicago emerged as perhaps the most unexpected postseason contender in 2026, and Venable has now been rewarded for that transformation.
| Will Venable, White Sox | 15 | 11 | 3 | 111 |
| Kevin Cash, Rays | 12 | 12 | 2 | 98 |
| Chad Tracy, Red Sox | 3 | 5 | 17 | 47 |
| Stephen Vogt, Guardians | 1 | 6 | 9 | |
| Aaron Boone, Yankees | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| Joe Espada, Astros | 1 | 1 |
Venable now becomes part of a select group of White Sox managers to capture the award:
- Ozzie Guillen, 2005
- Jerry Manuel, 2000
- Gene Lamont, 1993
- Jeff Torborg, 1990
- Tony La Russa, 1983
Cash ended as the runner-up following a tightly contested vote, garnering 12 first-place ballots compared to Venable’s 15. Tracy placed third, followed by Cleveland’s Stephen Vogt in fourth and New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone in fifth.
Under Cash, the Rays mounted a 21-game improvement to secure an AL-leading 98 victories and capture the AL East title following a fourth-place result in 2025. Meanwhile, Tracy assumed command of Boston after Alex Cora was relieved of his duties following a 10-17 start; Tracy subsequently posted a 77-58 mark to claim the second wild card spot in the American League.
