Pat Murphy, Stephen Vogt highlight class of first-year managers thriving at first opportunities

The managerial carousel in the 2023 offseason was a whirlwind, highlighted by Craig Counsell stunningly leaving the Milwaukee Brewers to sign with the Chicago Cubs on the richest contract for a manager in baseball history.

And Counsell isn’t even among the best managers hired from this past offseason.

The managers hired this past winter – Stephen Vogt, Pat Murphy, Carlos Mendoza and Joe Espada – have all been resounding successes. But none more so than Vogt and Murphy, who are easily the favorites to win Managers of the Year.

Pat Murphy, Stephen Vogt bring teams to postseason in first managerial opportunities

Vogt has long been regarded as one of the best former player managerial candidates in recent memory. Teams have been vying to hire Vogt since he was still playing. Years ago, people in and around the Brewers viewed Vogt as the likely candidate to replace Counsell once he eventually left. But he’s now in Cleveland, guiding the Guardians to an 88-65 record that is second-best in the American League.

Murphy, who ultimately replaced Counsell in Milwaukee, has done a masterful job. He’s shown a deft touch with the pitching staff. The offense has improved under his guidance. He’s well-regarded among players and coaches, as evidenced by every coach staying with Murphy in Milwaukee and not electing to follow Counsell to Chicago.

Both Vogt and Murphy have different backgrounds. Vogt, 39, played 10 seasons playing at the major-league level and was the Seattle Mariners’ bullpen and quality control coach in 2023. Murphy, 65, is a baseball lifer. He coached at Notre Dame from 1988-1994 and at Arizona State from 1995-2009. He was with the San Diego Padres from 2010-2015 before joining the Brewers as Counsell’s bench coach.

Despite different backgrounds, both Vogt and Murphy have thrived this season. Not only will each win the Manager of the Year awards, but they each will have set their teams up for sustained success moving forward.

But the strong class of new managers does not stop with Vogt and Murphy. Carlos Mendoza, the New York Mets’ manager, has provided stability at the helm alongside president of baseball operations David Stearns. It is the strongest leadership group that the Mets have had in some time and instead of being the laughing stock of baseball, the Mets are 84-68 and have exceeded everyone’s expectations. 

Espada, meanwhile, got off to a slow start in Houston. The Astros were well under .500 and fans were calling for his job. Now, despite injuries and questions in the rotation, the Astros are 82-70 and in first place in the American League West.

It’s unlikely that this will be the norm going forward for new managers. Success this early for new managers is rare. But the strong start for each manager and franchise should give optimism to teams seeking new voices in the dugout that a turnaround can happen quicker than expected.