Craig Stammen didn’t come away with the National League Manager of the Year award, but his first year running the Padres still drew a surprising amount of support.
The San Diego skipper finished fourth in the 2026 voting announced Tuesday, collecting two first-place votes and 24 total points. That put him just one point behind Philadelphia Phillies manager Don Mattingly, who landed in third with 25 points even though he received only one first-place vote.
At the top of the ballot, Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy made history. He won the award for the third straight season, becoming the first manager in MLB history to do it. Murphy earned 20 first-place votes and 124 points, while Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss finished second with 86 points.
The results were confirmed in the official MLB announcement, with the Baseball Writers’ Association of America voting taking place before the postseason.
For Stammen, the finish stands out because of how unusual his path to the job was. The former Padres reliever took over after Mike Shildt’s retirement following the 2025 season, and he had never managed at any professional level before getting the opportunity.
That background naturally raised questions about whether a former relief pitcher with no traditional managerial résumé could handle a major league clubhouse. Stammen also brought a different approach to the dugout, and the Padres responded by reaching the National League Division Series before their season ended against Murphy’s Brewers.
Milwaukee then went on to win the franchise’s first World Series championship, which adds some context to the lopsided support Murphy received from voters.
Stammen’s recognition arrives at a significant moment for San Diego, too. The Padres head into the offseason with major roster decisions ahead, especially in the starting rotation and with several potential free-agent departures.
General manager A.J. Preller and Stammen have already talked through the club’s offseason priorities, including pitching concerns and the expected return of much of the coaching staff.
Even though Stammen wasn’t one of the three finalists, the two first-place votes show his debut season made an impression well beyond San Diego. The next test is turning that early respect into something bigger while the Padres navigate another demanding offseason.
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