Brewers' Pat Murphy Just Showed Why He's MLB's Top Manager in the NLDS

One thing that has been exceptionally clear over the last few years is that the Milwaukee Brewers are fortunate to have Pat Murphy leading the charge as the club's manager.

Murphy took over as the manager of the Brewers ahead of the 2024 season as Craig Counsell jumped ship and landed with the Chicago Cubs. Since then, Murphy has won two straight National League Manager of the Year Awards and has a real shot at a third straight this year. In three seasons leading the charge, the Brewers have gone 293-193. In comparison, the Cubs have gone 264-222.

Murphy simply knows how to push all of the buttons at the right time and put the club into a position for success. Ahead of Game 4 of the National League Division Series, Murphy pulled Garrett Mitchell, Brice Turang and Jake Bauers aside after the trio struggled across the first three games of the series. His message was simple, but it was a good one. Bauers shared what Murphy said, as transcribed by MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.

"He didn't say anything that I didn't already know, but it was good to have the conversation, have someone else tell me that it was kind of time to refocus a little bit," Bauers said. "I was just trying to do way too much and so to hear him say, 'Hey man, just be you.' It was a good reminder, for sure."

In Game 4, Bauers went 1-for-1 with three walks and a run scored. Again, Murphy just knows how to push all of the right buttons. He's a calming presence and clearly knows what he's doing.

Pat Murphy Is The Best In the Business

Oct 6, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy (49) argues a call with umpire Alfonso Márquez (72) during the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres in game three of the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's easy to get caught up in the everyday grind, especially during the playoffs. A single game can skew a series. Despite a 162-game sample size in the regular season, entire seasons can be judged based on just a few games. A perfect example can be seen with the Atlanta Braves. Ronald Acuna Jr. is among the very best players in baseball. He's a former MVP and is a five-time All-Star, and yet he had a tough series in the NLDS and was booed at home by Braves fans. It's a tough business, especially in the playoffs.

So even this message from Murphy simply telling these guys to be themselves is important. Turang, Bauers and Mitchell are massive reasons why the Brewers even got to the NLCS in the first place. In Game 4, Bauers had a good night. Mitchell went 2-for-4 with a triple and a game-saving home run robbery of Manny Machado.

GARRETT MITCHELL TAKES AWAY A GAME-TYING HOME RUN 🤯 pic.twitter.com/UVjEXP3VA7
— MLB (@MLB) October 8, 2026

Turang had a base hit in the Game 4 win as well.

Simply put, Murphy knows what to do to get his guys in the best position to succeed. He talked about how these guys can't get down on themselves right now, also transcribed by Sheldon.

"You've got matchups all throughout the game, and it's hard to build numbers. It's those guys' willingness to stick in there and be a teammate and not get down on themselves when things don't go their way," Murphy continued. "You just can't. You just have to keep your head up and know this is part of the game."

The Brewers have talent all over the place and arguably the very best manager in the game. Milwaukee got through the San Diego Padres. Now, the Brewers will try to do the same against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS. If there is a team out there that can take down the Dodgers, it's the Brewers.

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