PHILADELPHIA—Rob Thomson is gearing up for his fourth playoff run as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Thomson, who took over the position in 2022, has led the organization to the postseason every year as skipper. He is one of three managers in franchise history who have led the team to consecutive division titles, joining Charlie Manuel and Danny Ozark. In fact, Topper is the fourth manager in the history of Major League Baseball to reach the postseason in each of his first four seasons. Dave Roberts, Aaron Boone, and Mike Matheny are the others.
The Phillies won the National League East in 2025 for the second straight season. Thomson's club won 96 games during the regular season and finished with the second-best record in the sport once again. Leading a team with World Series-caliber talent, Thomson has positioned the Phillies to chase after their third World Series title in club history.
He has won a National League pennant, managed a win in the All-Star game, won multiple division titles, and has won even more playoff series. You might be saying to yourself that there is one more accomplishment to check off his list. I would argue that there is another achievement that Thomson can look to earn, outside the ultimate goal of winning the World Series.
Manager of the Year
Despite having the second-most wins in baseball since taking the Phillies job, Thomson has yet to receive the honor for NL Manager of the Year.
In 2024, he finished in fifth place in voting, losing out to Pat Murphy of the Milwaukee Brewers. In 2023, the Phillies' manager did not receive a vote for the honor.
Instead, Skip Shumaker of the Miami Marlins won the award before exiting the team following the 2024 season. In Thomson's first season, 2022, he also finished in fifth place in voting. He lost that year to Buck Showalter of the New York Mets.
As it stands, the favorite to win the award in 2025 is Murphy. This would be just the third time a manager had won the honor in consecutive seasons. The last manager to accomplish this was Kevin Cash of the Tampa Bay Rays. He won the American League designation in 2020 and 2021.
The award does not factor in postseason success, as voting starts at the end of the regular season and concludes during the middle of the playoffs. External factors, such as expectations, roster talent, and payroll, all play a role in the voting process. Each writer gets to put their own requirements and bias toward their pick, which makes voting often unpredictable.
If I had a vote, the award would go to the manager of the Phillies.
Mounting expectations
You could argue that outside the New York Yankees, the Philadelphia Phillies have the most pressure to win the World Series in 2025. Owner and managing partner John Middleton reiterated once again that the only goal was to win it all. That same mantra was passed from the very top of the club to the bottom.
After falling short in the three previous seasons, there was a feeling that the window of opportunity was starting to close. Keeping that thought in the back of your mind as you navigate a 162-game season must be heavy.
Thomson not only faced internal expectations but also outside noise. Many fans were upset that the organization was “running it back” with the same coaches and players. Some wanted personnel changes to occur. Many wanted the team to move on from hitting coach Kevin Long. Others were going so far as to say that Thomson himself should be let go. Despite the support from his organization, Thomson must have heard the buzz.
Thomson gets results
Stepping back onto the field, the Phillies once again accomplished great results under Thomson.
96 wins. NL East champs. The second-best record in all of baseball.
The Phillies will likely finish with a top-three finalist for National League MVP and National League Cy Young. Thomson won a division title over the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves. The club was projected to finish in third place in the East before the season began. By year's end, they had a 13-game lead over the Mets, which was the largest difference between any division winner and second-place finisher.
A manager cannot be great without his players. But a great manager knows how to get the most out of the players that he has. A prime example of this was the end-of-season platoon he orchestrated. Thomson benched Nick Castellanos in games started by right-handers, a move that many did not see coming. He committed to the lefty/righty lineups, starting Max Kepler over Castellanos, and Weston Wilson over Brandon Marsh when the situations called for it.
He was not afraid to make late-inning substitutions late in the season. Including the addition of Harrison Bader, the Phillies' outfield went from a bottom-10 unit to one of the best in baseball. Thomson took a weakness and made it a strength for the Phillies.
The Phillies' skipper also lost Zack Wheeler for the final stretch run of the regular season. Most teams deal with injuries throughout the course of a baseball season. However, most teams would take a huge step back if they lost a potential Cy Young candidate. Without Wheeler, Thomson was able to energize his starting rotation and task them with stepping up in the All-Star's place. His team bought in, continuing a stretch of dominance to close out 2025.
Does it matter?
If you ask Thomson his thoughts on the award, he would likely tell you it doesn't matter to him. He has one goal in mind, and that goal is a World Series title.
I would argue that a nomination for Thomson would legitimize what has been an excellent run by the Phillies under his guidance. His players love him and fight for him every time they step on the field. They have rewarded him with hard work, and Thomson has given them all a chance to compete for baseball's ultimate prize.
Will Thomson beat Murphy for the award? That remains to be seen. If I had a vote, it would go to the skipper in red pinstripes.
