Guardians’ Stephen Vogt and Brewers’ Pat Murphy named managers of the year

Stephen Vogt, the manager of the Cleveland Guardians, has been named the American League Manager of the Year, while Pat Murphy of the Milwaukee Brewers received the honor in the National League, as announced by Major League Baseball on Tuesday evening. Vogt attributed his success to the players, noting, “The players did this. If the players don’t do what they’re capable of, this wouldn’t be possible.”

In his inaugural season as a manager, Vogt guided the AL Central champion Guardians to an impressive 92 wins. The team advanced to the AL Championship Series for the first time since 2016, ultimately falling to the New York Yankees in five games. At 40 years old, Vogt’s win is particularly noteworthy as he is the fastest individual to achieve this award after completing a playing career, and he is also among the five youngest recipients overall. Furthermore, he is one of just ten managers to win the award in their debut season.

Vogt, a former two-time All-Star, demonstrated significant improvement by elevating a young team from 76 wins to 92 in just one season, succeeding three-time Manager of the Year Terry Francona, who won the award in 2013, 2016, and 2022. Vogt expressed his approach by stating, “I needed to come in and be myself… I just wanted to be me and help our players be the best they can be.”

With this honor, the Guardians have now tied the Chicago White Sox for the most Manager of the Year awards in history, with five each. Alongside Vogt and Francona, Eric Wedge also received the accolade in 2007. In the voting for the award, Vogt garnered 27 out of a possible 30 first-place votes, surpassing fellow AL Central managers Matt Quatraro of the Kansas City Royals and A.J. Hinch of the Detroit Tigers, both of whom also experienced successful seasons and led their teams into the postseason.

Similarly, Pat Murphy, 65, was recognized for his first full year as a manager, winning the NL award with 27 first-place votes. However, Murphy brought a wealth of experience, having served as an assistant to Craig Counsell in Milwaukee from 2016 to 2023 and previously coaching at Arizona State from 1995 to 2009. He also stepped in as an interim manager for the San Diego Padres in 2015, where he compiled a record of 42-54.

In 2024, Murphy led the Brewers to a successful season, finishing with a 93-69 record and clinching the NL Central title, despite facing significant challenges, including the loss of star pitcher Corbin Burnes and injuries to key players like Brandon Woodruff and Devin Williams. Reflecting on his journey, Murphy remarked, “I didn’t plan on this. It wasn’t my path. But then when I got with (Counsell), I was supposed to be mentoring him, but he did a great job mentoring me.”

Murphy secured the NL award over competitors Mike Shildt of the Padres and Carlos Mendoza of the New York Mets. When speaking about their shared successes, Vogt highlighted the crucial support both managers received as well as their backgrounds in the sport. “It just speaks to the organizations, first of all,” Vogt said. “Those are two great organizations we get to work for. But we’re also baseball people.”