Pat Murphy Wins Third Consecutive Manager of the Year Award

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy became the first person to win the Manager of the Year award in three consecutive seasons on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, while Chicago White Sox skipper Will Venable secured the American League honor.

Murphy, 67, accepted the National League award from a hospital bed after undergoing right hip replacement surgery. The recognition follows a 2026 campaign where the Brewers achieved a franchise-record 103 regular-season wins and captured the organization’s first World Series championship.

The Brewers finished the regular season with a 103-59 record and a run differential of +214, securing their fourth consecutive NL Central title. In the postseason, Milwaukee went 11-2, including an eight-game winning streak that spanned from Game 4 of the NLDS through Game 3 of the World Series.

Historic Three-Peat for Murphy

The Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) awarded Murphy 20 of 30 first-place votes, totaling 124 points. Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss finished second with 86 points, followed by Philadelphia Phillies manager Don Mattingly with 25 points. San Diego Padres manager Craig Stammen received two first-place votes, and Cubs manager Craig Counsell earned a single second-place vote.

Murphy, who turns 68 on November 28, has a 293–193 record as Milwaukee’s manager. He is now just one win away from tying Bobby Cox, Tony La Russa, and Buck Showalter for the most Manager of the Year awards of all time.

With this third win, he joins an elite group of three-time winners that includes Dusty Baker, Terry Francona, Jim Leyland, Joe Maddon, Bob Melvin, and Lou Piniella. He is the 10th manager to win the award at least three times.

Under Murphy’s leadership, the Brewers have improved their win total each season, moving from 93 wins in 2024 to 97 in 2025 and 103 in 2026. This growth follows a 2024 season where the team was projected by FanGraphs to finish fourth in the division with 78 wins, but instead won 93 games.

In 2025, FanGraphs projected 84 wins and a second-place finish. “With his ‘win tonight’ approach, Pat Murphy led our club to another historic season and the first World Series championship in franchise history,” said Matt Arnold, the Brewers’ president of baseball operations and general manager.

Murphy’s professional journey includes four years in the minor leagues and a coaching career that included 318 wins at Notre Dame and 629 wins at Arizona State, where he made four College World Series appearances. He later managed the San Diego Padres on an interim basis in 2015. In 2016, Craig Counsell brought Murphy to Milwaukee as his bench coach.

Venable Leads White Sox Turnaround

In the American League, Will Venable was honored for leading the White Sox to an 84-78 record, the first time an MLB team reached the postseason after losing 100 or more games in each of the two previous seasons. The White Sox lost 121 games in 2024, a record for the Modern Era, and 102 games in 2025.

Venable earned 111 points and 15 first-place votes, outpacing Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash, who received 98 points. Chad Tracy of the Boston Red Sox finished third with 47 points. The Red Sox interim skipper took over after Alex Cora started 10-17 and was fired, leading the team to a 77-58 finish and a Wild Card berth.

The White Sox offense led the American League in runs (776) and walks (589) during the 2026 season. Venable, who previously served as a special assistant, led the team to a postseason appearance and a Wild Card round victory over the Houston Astros, though they later lost to the Guardians in the ALDS.

BBWAA Writers Determine Awards Results

The BBWAA awards are determined by two writers from each National League city’s chapter who submit ballots before the postseason begins. In the American League, the fifth-place finisher was Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees.

MVP Winners Will Be Revealed Thursday

MVP winners will be revealed Thursday.

More on this story: Pat Murphy Makes MLB History With Third Straight NL Manager of the Year Award

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