MLB Insider: Why the Brewers’ Pat Murphy is the likely Manager of the Year

When the Milwaukee Brewers lost manager Craig Counsell to the Chicago Cubs, the immediate reaction from most observers was that Milwaukee would take a step back. Then the Brewers traded star pitcher Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles and the conversation shifted toward a potential rebuild.

Now, 124 games into the regular season, the Brewers are 72-52, lead the National League Central by 11 games, and have the third best record in the NL. And it has put Pat Murphy in prime position to win the National League Manager of the Year award.

When Counsell left for Chicago, the Brewers immediately identified Murphy as his replacement. They valued his relationships with the players, coaches and the front office. They believed he would bring a hard-nosed, aggressive form of baseball to Milwaukee while maintaining Counsell’s ability to maximize the pitching staff.

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The Brewers hit the ball out of the park with Pat Murphy

Murphy, 65, has done just that. He’s helped the rotation navigate through the Burnes trade and many injuries in the rotation. He’s maximized a bullpen filled with under-the-radar options, most notably Bryan Hudson. And the Brewers’ offense has exceeded expectations, with the teams’ .736 OPS ranking tenth in baseball.

It not only has made the Brewers the most surprising team in the National League, but also positioned them as a team capable of winning the World Series.

Just look at the rest of the NL: the Dodgers have been treading water for most of the regular season. The Philadelphia Phillies, once the best team in the NL, have struggled mightily since the All-Star break. The Atlanta Braves are battered and bruised. The San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks, meanwhile, are surging and loom as real threats.

But the National League is wide open and there for the taking. The Brewers may have lower payrolls than most, if not all, of the other teams in playoff contention. But considering the Brewers’ player development, and how Murphy has the team humming, they are a real threat to represent the NL in the World Series.

At the very least, Murphy should win the Manager of the Year award. That, at this point, is all but a formality.