For the second year in a row, Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy secures the National League Manager of the Year accolade.
Murphy is now the sole NL manager in Major League Baseball history to claim the title in consecutive seasons. He became the first Brewers manager to earn this distinction last year in his inaugural season after taking over from Craig Counsell. In the American League, only former Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox and Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash have achieved this milestone.
Murphy garnered 27 out of 30 first-place votes and won the award decisively. He was mentioned on all but one of the ballots that were cast as well. Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona and Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson were also in contention for the award. Francona received two first-place votes, while Thomson got one.
Advertisement
In Murphy’s debut season, the Brewers exceeded expectations, even after losing ace pitcher Corbin Burnes to free agency. The team clinched first place in the NL Central with a 93–69 record.
Once again, this past season, the Brewers exceeded forecasts under Murphy’s guidance. Despite a sluggish start characterized by injuries and the haunting memories of the “Torpedo bats” from an early March encounter against the New York Yankees, the Brewers concluded with a 97–65 record, improving by four games from the previous year and achieving the top mark in the regular season. This also marked their third consecutive NL Central title.
Murphy attained this success through cultivating young talent, including NL Rookie of the Year finalist third baseman Caleb Durbin and All-Star rookie pitcher Jacob Misiorowski. Murphy’s reputation for developing young players can be traced back to his coaching tenure in college at Notre Dame and Arizona State.
The Brewers’ various winning streaks over the summer and their 22–13 road record, the best in the league during the latter half of the season, established them as one of the most reliable teams down the stretch.
Advertisement
Their impressive regular-season performance translated into the playoffs. After failing to progress past the wild-card round last year, the Brewers advanced to the National League Championship Series this season. However, they were eventually swept by the 2025 World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
