Picture this: Two managers who transformed their teams from potential disappointments into playoff powerhouses, clinching the prestigious Manager of the Year honors for 2025. It's a tale of resilience and savvy leadership that has baseball fans buzzing – but stick around, because there's more to unpack than meets the eye!
Pat Murphy from the Milwaukee Brewers and Stephen Vogt from the Cleveland Guardians have just been named the National League (NL) and American League (AL) Managers of the Year, respectively. For those new to baseball, the NL and AL are the two main divisions of Major League Baseball (MLB), and these awards recognize the top skippers voted by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA), a group of seasoned journalists who cover the sport.
Murphy dominated the voting, securing 27 out of 30 first-place ballots after guiding the Brewers to MLB's top record in 2025. He took over as Milwaukee's manager in November 2023, stepping in following Craig Counsell's unexpected move to the Chicago Cubs. At 66 years old, Murphy had already been part of the Brewers' coaching crew since 2016, bringing a wealth of experience to the role.
Before joining Milwaukee, he briefly served as interim manager for the San Diego Padres in 2015, posting a 42-54 record over 96 games after Bud Black was let go. Yet, Murphy's tenure in Milwaukee proved transformative right from the start. In his inaugural season, he steered the team to 93 victories and an NL Central division crown, defying expectations without major off-season reinforcements.
And this is the part most people miss: Despite no big-name signings, the Brewers soared to an impressive 97 wins during the 2025 regular season – a new franchise high, as noted on Baseball Reference. They even triumphed over the Cubs in a thrilling five-game NL Division Series, their first series win since 2018. It's a testament to Murphy's tactical acumen and team-building prowess.
But here's where it gets controversial: Winning Manager of the Year in back-to-back years is exceedingly rare. Since the award's inception in 1983, this marks only the second such occurrence in the NL. Bobby Cox achieved it with the Atlanta Braves in 2004 and 2005, and now Murphy has done it in his very first two full seasons as a permanent manager. To put it in perspective, he's also the 16th person ever to secure multiple wins, joining an elite club of managerial legends.
Now, shifting to the AL, Vogt edged out contenders like John Schneider of the Toronto Blue Jays and Dan Wilson of the Seattle Mariners with 17 first-place votes. The Guardians' journey was nothing short of a rollercoaster. They endured a dismal 10-game losing streak from June 26 to July 6, dropping to 40-48 and falling 15.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central.
Yet, the turnaround was spectacular. From that low point, Cleveland went an outstanding 48-26, erasing the entire deficit to claim the AL Central title on the season's final day – the biggest comeback ever for a division win, surpassing even the 1914 Boston Braves' historic rebound (94-59 after a 15-game lag).
Like Murphy, Vogt's consecutive wins are a feat for the history books: only the third time since 1983, following Cox (2004-05) and Kevin Cash (2020-21). Vogt is unique as the first to achieve this in his initial two years as a full-time manager, having been appointed by the Guardians in November 2023 after Terry Francona's retirement. He's the 16th multiple winner overall, and Cleveland has now clinched the award five times since 2013, shared between Vogt and Francona (2013, 2016, 2022).
To wrap this up, these awards highlight how managerial decisions can make or break a season, but does that mean these guys were the absolute best, or should we question if other factors, like player talent or luck, played a bigger role? Some might argue that back-to-back wins prove genius, while others wonder if it's overhyped. What do you think – is this a fair recognition, or should the voting criteria be tweaked? Share your thoughts in the comments; I'd love to hear agreements, disagreements, or fresh perspectives!
