MLB Announces Manager of the Year Winner; Did Padres’ Mike Shildt Win?

Maren Angus-Coombs | 2 Hours Ago

Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

In the National League, all three Manager of the Year finalists were in their first season with their teams.

All three finalists had a solid case for winning but it was Pat Murphy of the Milwaukee Brewers who was awarded the honors on Tuesday.

Carlos Mendoza led the Mets to the postseason after a rough start, Mike Shildt helped the Padres finish strong with a hot second half, and Murphy guided the Brewers to an NL Central title despite pitching setbacks and losing his best player for the last 61 games of the season.

Shildt finished in second with only one first-place vote.

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Shildt has now reached the postseason four times in just four full seasons as a major league manager, including three with St. Louis. He won the 2019 NL Manager of the Year Award and was on track for another this season.

His successful first season with the Padres also earned him a contract extension through 2027.

“He took a talented group and got them together, really from Day 1,” general manager A.J. Preller told AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. “He brought a competitive spirit to our team and brought a lot of joy, energy and happiness to the city of San Diego. It was a lot of fun to be a part of it with him.”

San Diego turned to Shildt after missing the playoffs in 2023. All he did was come in and change everything about the clubhouse. The Padres revamped their roster, cutting payroll as several key players were moved to other teams.

The official BBWAA Manager of the Year awards are announced tonight:
In the AL, it’s expected to be close race between Cleveland’s Stephen Vogt and KC’s Matt Quatraro.
In the NL, Milwaukee’s Pat Murphy is the favorite over San Diego’s Mike Shildt and NY’s Carlos Mendoza.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) November 19, 2024

Shildt was brought in to help turn things around. While it's tough to pinpoint exactly how much a manager influences the game, the Padres excelled in key situations in 2024, winning the tight contests that often slipped away from them in 2023.

The Padres also took the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers to the brink of elimination.

The atmosphere in the Padres' clubhouse was vastly different in 2024.

While the 2023 season was marked by reports of internal strife — some of which may have been exaggerated but not entirely unfounded — the following year saw a much more cohesive team. Though the roster had changed, Shildt’s influence on the clubhouse culture played a significant part in the turnaround.

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