Pat Murphy and Will Venable are named 2026 Managers of the Year
Excellence in technical management within Major League Baseball has been officially recognized. Pat Murphy, at the helm of the Milwaukee Brewers, and Will Venable, strategist for the Chicago White Sox, have been awarded as the 2026 Managers of the Year, an award granted by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America following their outstanding work during the regular season.
Pat Murphy makes history in the National League
Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy achieved an unprecedented feat by winning the National League award for the third consecutive year. This milestone positions him as the first strategist in Major League history to achieve this distinction in three straight seasons.
Murphy’s management was impeccable, leading the Brewers to a 103-win record, the best mark in all of baseball, crowning the year with the first World Series championship in franchise history.
In the voting, Murphy accumulated 124 points, surpassing Walt Weiss of the Atlanta Braves and Don Mattingly of the Philadelphia Phillies, who completed the voting podium.
Will Venable’s transformation in Chicago
In the American League, the recognition went to Will Venable, who has been the architect of one of the most impressive turnarounds in recent times. After a forgettable 2024, the manager managed to transform the White Sox, raising their competitive level to reach 84 wins and a spot in the postseason.
- Venable is the first White Sox manager to receive this award since Ozzie Guillén in 2005.
- Under his leadership, Chicago advanced past the Wild Card Series against the Houston Astros.
- The team demonstrated its competitive ability by winning the first two games of the divisional series against Cleveland.
With a total of 111 points, Venable outperformed figures like Kevin Cash of the Tampa Bay Rays and Chad Tracy of the Boston Red Sox in the ballots. This award solidifies the positive impact of Venable, who becomes the sixth manager in the history of the Chicago organization to receive this prestigious recognition from Alofoke Deportes.
