Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy made baseball history Tuesday night, becoming the first manager in either league to win Manager of the Year three seasons in a row. In the American League, the honor went to Chicago White Sox skipper Will Venable, who guided one of the most dramatic turnarounds the sport has seen in years.
The Baseball Writers’ Association of America announced both awards on MLB Network on Nov. 10. Thirty writers voted, and ballots were turned in before the postseason began, so October results did not count.
Murphy: a three-peat after a championship season
Murphy received 20 of the 30 first-place votes and 124 points in the National League race, according to the Associated Press. Atlanta’s Walt Weiss finished second with seven first-place votes and 86 points. Philadelphia’s Don Mattingly was third with one first-place vote, and San Diego’s Craig Stammen picked up the remaining two.
The Brewers gave voters plenty to like. Milwaukee won a franchise-record 103 games, the best record in the majors, then swept the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series. The Brewers went on to beat the Tampa Bay Rays in a five-game World Series for the first title in club history, in their first trip to the Fall Classic since 1982.
According to the AP, only three other managers have won the award three times with one organization: Bobby Cox with the Braves, Terry Francona with Cleveland and Dusty Baker with the Giants. None of them did it in three straight years.
Murphy, who spent eight seasons on Craig Counsell’s coaching staff before taking over in Milwaukee, learned of the honor from a hospital, where he was recovering from hip replacement surgery. He turns 68 on Nov. 28. Speaking from the hospital, he told reporters, “I’ve got nothing to do. I’m just sitting here.” He credited hungry players who meet high standards.
Venable: from 121 losses to the playoffs
Venable won a tighter AL race, collecting 15 first-place votes and 111 points. Tampa Bay’s Kevin Cash, whose Rays posted the AL’s best record at 98 wins, was second with 12 first-place votes and 98 points. Boston’s Chad Tracy, who took over after Alex Cora was fired early in the season, finished third with 47 points. Cleveland’s Stephen Vogt, the Yankees’ Aaron Boone and Houston’s Joe Espada also received votes.
The White Sox story is remarkable. Chicago lost 121 games in 2024, the most by any team since 1900, according to CBS Sports. Venable took over in 2025 and the club went 60-102 in his first season. This year the White Sox finished 84-78, a 24-win jump, and earned a wild card spot, their first postseason trip since 2021.
CBS Sports and the AP both note that Chicago became the first team to reach the postseason after losing 100 or more games in each of the two previous seasons. The White Sox swept Houston in the Wild Card Series and won the first two games of the Division Series in Cleveland before the Guardians rallied to win three straight, MLB.com reported.
Venable, 43, is the first White Sox manager to win the award since Ozzie Guillén in 2005 and the sixth in franchise history. The BBWAA noted he is only the fourth manager overall to win the year after a 100-loss season. Speaking after the announcement, he shared credit widely: “I do view this very much as an organizational award,” he told MLB.com.
Venable, a former big league outfielder, was on Bruce Bochy’s staff with the 2023 World Series champion Texas Rangers. In a fun twist, he briefly played for Murphy with the San Diego Padres in 2015, the AP reported.
What’s next in baseball awards week
Awards week continues tonight. MLB’s schedule lists the BBWAA Cy Young Awards and Relief Pitcher of the Year at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday, Nov. 11, followed by the All-MLB Teams and other honors at 9 p.m. ET. The Most Valuable Player awards wrap things up Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. ET, all on MLB Network. Upstormed News will report the winners.
Why it matters for families
Award season is a good time to talk with young players about what makes a good leader. Both winners pointed to teammates and staff rather than themselves. Venable’s White Sox are also a reminder that a losing season, even a historically bad one, does not have to be the end of the story. Patience, hard work and belief in each other can turn things around, on the field and off it.
Did the voters get it right, or should Kevin Cash or Walt Weiss have won? Tell us in the comments.
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Sources: ABC News/AP, “Milwaukee’s Pat Murphy first to win 3 straight Manager of Year awards. Will Venable takes AL honor” (Nov. 10, 2026); CBS Sports, “White Sox’s Will Venable named 2026 American League Manager of the Year for record-setting turnaround” (Nov. 10, 2026); MLB.com, “Will Venable wins AL Manager of the Year Award for 2026” (Nov. 10, 2026); BBWAA, “Will Venable wins AL Manager of the Year after leading White Sox turnaround” (Nov. 10, 2026); MLB.com, “When are 2026 MLB awards announced? MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year” (Nov. 2026)
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