Stephen Vogt of the Cleveland Guardians won the American League Manager of the Year while the Milwaukee Brewers’ Pat Murphy was the winner in the National League, as announced by Major League Baseball Tuesday evening.
“The players did this,” Vogt said. “If the players don’t do what they’re capable of, this wouldn’t be possible.”
The AL Central champion Guardians had a highly successful season under Vogt in his first year managing the club, winning 92 games and defeating the Detroit Tigers to make their first AL Championship Series since 2016. They lost in five games to the New York Yankees.
Vogt, 40, is a unique winner of the award, having only just completed his playing career in 2022.
He becomes the fastest to win the award following a playing career, the fifth-youngest winner overall and one of just 10 to win the award in his first year of managing.
The former two-time All-Star improved a young roster from 76 wins to 92 wins in a single year, showing an immediate impact in taking the reins from three-time Manager of the Year Terry Francona (2013, 2016, 2022).
“I needed to come in and be myself,” Vogt said. “I knew I’d never replace Tito (Francona) and fill his shoes, but I just wanted to be me and help our players be the best they can be.”
The Guardians have tied the Chicago White Sox for the most MOY awards all-time (five). In addition to Vogt and Francona, Eric Wedge took home the honors in 2007.
Earning 27 first-place votes of a possible 30, Vogt won the award over fellow AL Central managers Matt Quatraro of the Kansas City Royals and A.J. Hinch of the Tigers, both of whom also led turnarounds and landed postseason appearances.
Much like Vogt, the 65-year-old Murphy was also in his first full year as a manager and earned 27 first-place votes. However, the wealth of experience Murphy brought to the table in Milwaukee was in stark contrast to Vogt.
From 2016 to 2023, Murphy served as a top assistant of Craig Counsell — who he once coached at Notre Dame (1988-94) — in Milwaukee until Counsell departed for the Chicago Cubs last offseason.
In addition, he was a longtime coach of Arizona State (1995-2009) and filled in as an interim manager for the San Diego Padres in 2015, coaching that team to a 42-54 mark during his tenure.
In 2024, Murphy led a 93-69 team that won the NL Central (ahead of the Cubs) and reached the postseason despite significant challenges faced along the way, including the departure of Corbin Burnes and injuries to fellow top right-handers Brandon Woodruff and Devin Williams.
“I didn’t plan on this,” Murphy said. “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. I learned so much about the big league game.”
Murphy won the NL award over Mike Shildt of the Padres and Carlos Mendoza of the New York Mets.
Asked about what the two winners had in common, Vogt pointed to the support they each received, as well as their backgrounds.
“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.”
–Field Level Media
