Since the Manager of the Year award was introduced in 1983, no manager has ever won it three years in a row. Brewers manager Pat Murphy became the first to do just that in 2026. Murphy was named National League Manager of the Year for the third consecutive year, having won in 2024 and 2025.
Murphy overcame two of the biggest managerial storylines in 2026 in the vote. Don Mattingly authored an impressive turnaround for a Phillies team that started 9-19, with Philadelphia winning the final Wild Card spot. Walt Weiss in his first year took an underperforming Braves roster and won 18 more games than the previous season.
In the voting breakdown, 20 of the 30 first-place votes went to the Brewers’ manager. With the lion’s share of the top votes, he easily cruised to a win over both Weiss and Mattingly.
Why Pat Murphy Deserved His Third Manager of the Year Award
Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy holds up a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel “World Champs” newspaper after winning Game 5 and the World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The 2026 season was the magnum opus of this current Brewers regime. For the second straight year, they led all MLB teams with 103 wins. It was clear and obvious that they were the best team in 2026, and that carried into the postseason. However, postseason results don’t factor into the award because they’re cast long before the Brewers played a game.
The Brewers were one of the best scoring teams in MLB, finishing second in runs scored (850) and third in wRC+ (107). And they accomplished that by working against conventional thinking, opting to attack with an all-fields approach instead of relying on long balls.
Additionally, the Brewers’ core is made up of young talent and overlooked players. To get results out of those types of players, it requires having the right manager in place and get them to buy in.
Milwaukee also overcame problems on the pitching staff. Kyle Harrison had a first-half breakout and looked like their No. 2 starter, but his second-half struggles resulted in him being a postseason non-factor. Instead, that role went to Logan Henderson, and fellow lefty Robert Gasser stepped up in October.
Why Pat Murphy Has Been the Perfect Manager for the Brewers
Oct 28, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy (00) is interviewed during the trophy presentation after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in game five of the 2026 World Series at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Murphy has done a tremendous job of transforming the culture in Milwaukee. In the immediate aftermath of the Cubs poaching his predecessor, Craig Counsell, he was elevated to the manager role.
In three seasons under Murphy, the Brewers have won 293 games. They’ve won a National League Central division title in all three years with him at the helm. After a 103-win season, he was the favorite to win his third straight Manager of the Year Award. Considering he’s been a full-time manager for just three seasons, that’s excellent.
The Brewers have proven to be the model franchise for teams that don’t have as deep a payroll budget. Milwaukee ranked 19th in player payroll in the 2026 season, but still defeated the Padres, Dodgers, and Rays rather convincingly.
The Brewers have a steadfast adherence to their process. While in the age of analytics, with Milwaukee being one of the most analytically-inclined organizations, they balance that with Murphy’s old-school approach as manager. It was that approach that cultivated a Brewers club that found a way to rise to every occasion last season.
Murphy will have a much different challenge in 2027. He’ll have to convince the same players to play with the same hunger and desire as they did in 2026. It’s easy to turn failure into motivation, but a manager who can turn success into motivation.
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