Craig Counsell managed the Milwaukee Brewers from 2015-2023. He found success, even leading the team as far as the National League Championship Series. However, Counsell left Milwaukee and agreed to become the Chicago Cubs manager ahead of the 2024 season. A man by the name of Pat Murphy took over for Counsell in 2024 — and it's safe to say the Brewers have no complaints about how things turned out. Counsell's Cubs have been fine, but Murphy's Brewers won the World Series in 2026.
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal recently explained how Murphy has helped the Brewers reach the next level since Counsell's departure, via Foul Territory.
“I would agree that Murphy has been transformative for that team,” Rosenthal said. “They were really good under Counsell, let's not forget… But Murphy has set an established standard that the players have to meet.”
Both Counsell and Murphy are respectable managers. While Counsell hasn't led Chicago to the World Series, his Cubs did win 92 games in 2025 and 89 in 2026. Murphy's Brewers, however, have led the league in wins in each of the past two seasons, with 97 victories a season ago and 103 this year.
Article Continues BelowMurphy demands that his players put the team first. He has made it clear that he will remove a player from a game for not hustling. He sets a standard as Rosenthal mentioned, and that standard has seemingly played a role in building a cohesive unit.
The Brewers' outlook was questionable after Counsell left for their National League Central rival, but Murphy has stepped up and become one of the best managers in today's game.