As Major League Baseball's awards week rolls on, it's the managers' turn in the spotlight. The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) released the voting results for the Manager of the Year Awards on Tuesday evening, with Philadelphia Phillies skipper Rob Thomson missing out on the hardware.
Thomson finished third in voting, with 1 first-place, 7 second-place and 6 third-place votes, for a total of 32 points.
The voters, baseball writers from across the league, awarded the NL Manager of the Year Award to Milwaukee Brewers bench boss Pat Murphy who garnered 27 first-place votes and 141 total points. Terry Francona of the Cincinnati Reds placed second with 49 points.
Rob Thomson was a long shot to win NL Manager of the Year Award thanks to the Phillies' payroll
It was certainly a surprise when Thomson was named a finalist for the annual award. Yes, he did guide the Phillies to a 96-66 record. Yes, they easily won their second consecutive NL East title. Yes, they went to the playoffs for a fourth straight year under his watch.
But with a $308 million payroll, the fourth-highest in the majors, Thomson was working with more than Murphy or Francona could dream of being given by their respective front offices.
Despite a $145 million payroll, 20th overall, the Brewers finished with the best record in baseball at 97-65. In his second year at the Brewers' helm, Murphy took Milwaukee to their second straight NL Central title. They suffered a similar fate to the Phillies at the hands of the Dodgers in the NLCS, however.
Francona continued his storied managerial career in his first season in Cincinnati, with his Reds making the playoffs with the 22nd-highest payroll at $140 million. The former Phillies manager (1997-2000) got the 83-79 Reds into the No. 6 seed of the NL playoff bracket on the final day of the season, hilariously squeaking past the New York Mets.
Despite finishing with the second-best record in the majors, Thomson and the Phillies had their share of obstacles this year. From Bryce Harper battling through a wrist injury to losing top reliever José Alvarado to a PED suspension to losing ace Zack Wheeler in August to Nick Castellanos causing problems, it certainly wasn't smooth sailing.
Thomson's calm demeanor carried the team through to October baseball, but then things fell apart in the NLDS for the second consecutive year. Media and fans questioned some of Thomson's decision-making during that four-game series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he still had the support of his star players after their season ended.
As MLB.com's Todd Zolecki notes, Thomson is the best Phillies manager at handling the assortment of personalities in the clubhouse since Charlie Manuel.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has already confirmed that Thomson will return in 2026. Dombrowski even hinted in his year-end presser that there might be an extension in the manager's future, likely for an additional season.