Milwaukee Brewers captain Christian Yelich hoisted the Commissioner’s Trophy after 103 wins and an 11-2 October, marking the franchise’s first title in 57 years. Former skipper Craig Counsell had built the contender before leaving for the Chicago Cubs, yet manager Pat Murphy pushed the Brewers past the ceiling Counsell never cleared.
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“I would agree that Murphy has been transformative for that team,” claims Ken Rosenthal, MLB Insider, on Foul Territory. “They were really good under Counsell. Let’s not forget, they went to an NLCS under Counsell and did some really good things, but Murphy has set and established a standard that the players have to meet.”
Craig Counsell, the former manager, has 707 wins and five playoff trips, backing Rosenthal’s point, though his 7-12 postseason record reveals the disparity. This October, Murphy’s Brewers posted an 11-2 record and swept the Los Angeles Dodgers during the NLCS.
Murphy’s lineups are constructed to manipulate opposing bullpen decisions. He spaces out switch-hitters to force opposing managers into difficult relief-pitching choices early in games. However, a standard requires enforcement.
“He’s also had two guys whom I describe as his sergeants-at-arms, Christian Yelich and Brandon Woodruff,” Rosenthal said on Foul Territory, “who basically carry his message forward to the players. They named Yelich captain in part because he does that.”
Yelich earned the captaincy partly for relaying Murphy’s message, and right-hander Brandon Woodruff reinforces it. Murphy has made clear he will pull any player for not hustling, so accountability runs through the whole clubhouse. That daily urgency shapes the results.
“Murphy keeps the bar at a very high level,” Rosenthal said on Foul Territory, “and it’s all about that ‘win tonight’ mentality. We’re going to do what we can to win tonight, and every detail must be attended to.”
Win tonight appears in the standings. The Brewers under Murphy had 103 wins, breaking their franchise best of 97 set in 2025, and were 11-2 in the postseason with seven come-from-behind wins.
The contrast with Counsell’s current team backs that up. The Chicago Cubs, led by Counsell, recorded 92 wins in 2025 and 89 in 2026, lagging by 5 and 14 wins behind the Brewers in those two years, respectively, with the latter year showing the larger difference.
His journey to such a high level was a long one. Murphy has coached since 1986; he led Notre Dame, coached at Arizona State, developed infielder Dustin Pedroia and outfielder Andre Ethier, and was Counsell’s bench coach in Milwaukee.
But the hardware soon arrived. Murphy won back-to-back BBWAA National League Manager of the Year awards in 2024 and 2025, and he extended his streak by winning The Sporting News NL Manager of the Year award for the third consecutive year in 2026.
Pat Murphy was then bound to the organization. According to ESPN insider Jeff Passan, the contract extends through 2028, includes a club option for 2029, and guarantees $8.95 million in new money, making Murphy one of the highest-paid managers in baseball.
The team came at a modest budget. In terms of salaries, as of Aug. 31, the Brewers were 19th among Major League Baseball teams, while the Rays were 25th, marking their first series against two bottom-half payrolls since 1991.
In action, Misiorowski pitched a shutout for 5 2/3 innings, rookie Cooper Pratt broke the record with six straight hits by a rookie during a series, and closer Trevor Megill completed a 4-1 victory.
But Counsell’s success with that team was hardly accidental because the Brewers were winners, anyway. Pat Murphy had changed everything by setting the standard for a championship, and his 2026 World Series title proved that.