Brewers manager Pat Murphy has been honored as the National League Manager of the Year.
In his debut season as manager, Murphy guided the Brewers to an impressive 93-win campaign, earning them an unexpected NL Central title. Although the team fell to the Mets in the National League Wild Card Series after three games, the season remains a notable success for Milwaukee.
Murphy’s journey to MLB success has been anything but conventional. Before transitioning to professional baseball in 2010, he spent years coaching college teams at Notre Dame and Arizona State. He later worked in the Padres’ minor league system until 2015, when he became Milwaukee’s bench coach under Craig Counsell—who had played for Murphy during his college days at Notre Dame.
When Counsell unexpectedly left to manage the Cubs during the offseason, the Brewers quickly promoted Murphy. The transition proved to be smooth and effective.
“I just didn’t want to let the Brewers down,” Murphy said. “From ownership to the front office, players, and coaching staff, I wanted to be prepared and contribute to moving the team forward.”
Murphy won 27 of the 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, surpassing San Diego’s Mike Shildt and New York’s Carlos Mendoza to claim the award.
