Pat Murphy Named National League Manager of the Year

MLB’s award season continues, and the Brewers continue to be well-represented. After the club went 93-69 in the regular season and won a division title under his leadership, Pat Murphy was named the National League Manager of the Year on Tuesday night.

Murphy edged out New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza and San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt to win the award. He's the tenth skipper to win in his first year as a non-interim MLB manager, joining American League winner Stephen Vogt.

Voted on by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, the Manager of the Year Award is a flawed accolade, partially because there’s no great way to measure the impact a manager’s impact. Murphy echoed that sentiment before being announced as a finalist, saying it was “embarrassing” to be considered individually for an award when building a winner is a group effort. He struck a similar tone after officially taking home the honor.

"Evaluating the job that the manager does, it encompasses so many things," Murphy said. "Unless you've lived it, it's kind of tough... I don't want to disrespect the award in any way, but I think there's a tremendous emphasis put on these types of things that I don't think are necessarily indicative of what the award should be about."

Still, it’s deserving recognition for a baseball lifer who paid his dues at all organized levels of the sport. A longtime college and minor-league coach, Murphy was finally promoted to his first full-time managerial gig at age 65 after serving eight seasons as Craig Counsell’s bench coach. He inherited a Brewers team that always intended to compete in 2024, but roster and coaching turnover threatened to complicate the path to another playoff berth.

He wasn't perfect. At times, Murphy looked like a first-year manager while handling in-game strategy and player workloads. The greater takeaway, though, is how he approached the role.

Murphy squared confidence with humility and open-mindedness. He emphasized that he is still a student of the game and welcomed constructive criticism and analytical input. At the end of the day, Murphy positioned his players to succeed far more often than not, and his continued willingness to grow as an established baseball thinker should help him continue improving in his post.

Most importantly, he was the stabilizing figure the Brewers needed at the helm as they transitioned to a new era in franchise history. Counsell and Corbin Burnes were gone. Brandon Woodruff would not pitch as he recovered from major shoulder surgery. Many positions were wide open for players who had yet to establish themselves in the big leagues.

Murphy motivated his troops throughout a long regular season filled with adversity, laying the groundwork of the scrappy identity that helped the team avoid prolonged losing streaks. The clubhouse culture didn’t skip a beat and arguably improved under his leadership. Players regularly spoke about their eagerness to go to battle for their skipper.

He always credits those players for establishing a productive atmosphere.

"I've got young hungry players," Murphy said. "I know the role of the [Wade] Miley's and the [Christian] Yelich's and the [Willy] Adames's. That's a difference maker."

The players insist it starts with the manager.

“He keeps it light, but he’s intense, too,” Yelich said. “He demands a lot out of his players, and he expects you to conduct yourself and play in a certain way, but he also keeps it light, which is important over a six-month season where there’s going to be ups and downs.”

“You walk around our clubhouse, and you can’t look in any direction where it doesn’t say, ‘Win tonight,’” Mark Attanasio said. “I think he’s brought that demeanor and edge to the team.”

While there was value in maintaining organizational continuity by promoting Murphy, Attanasio and Matt Arnold insisted he went through the fully exhaustive interview process that any outside candidate would have. They concluded he was the right man for the job, and he rewarded their judgment.

“I can’t say enough good things about him,” Arnold said. “The way he connected with our fans and our staff and our players, how much he cares day-to-day, his ‘win tonight’ mentality, his ‘undaunted’ mentality – all those things, they’re real for us in this building. He meant a ton to this franchise, and he has for a long time.”

“With Murph, it’s always been about people,” Attanasio said. “Not every number two can be a number one. And we learned that Murph is a true number one.”

Writers across the sport agree. He might not believe he deserves it, but Murphy received due recognition for his efforts on Tuesday night.