Rob Thomson named finalist for National League Manager of the Year

The 2025 Phillies season ended with Rob Thomson’s job status in question. Nearly a month later, he was named a top-three finalist for the BBWAA National League Manager of the Year Award.

Thomson, 62, was named a finalist for the award alongside the Brewers’ Pat Murphy and the Reds’ Terry Francona. Ironically, all three managers nominated for the award lost to Dave Roberts’ Dodgers in the postseason. Roberts did not finish in the top three in voting.

The voting body, which is comprised of two BBWAA members from each National League city, submits their ballots before the postseason begins.

In his third full season as Phillies manager, Thomson’s team went 96-66, good for the second-best record in the NL. His team faced more adversity than it had in recent years. Ace Zack Wheeler was ruled out for the year in August after he was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome. Trea Turner and Alec Bohm missed time in September, though both returned before the start of the postseason.

But the season didn’t end with a parade down Broad Street. The Phillies fell to the eventual World Series champion Dodgers in four games in the National League Division Series. Philadelphia outscored Los Angeles 15-13 in the series, but lost three of the four games by a margin of two runs or fewer. Thomson made a few in-game decisions during the series that were heavily scrutinized, including putting the bunt sign on with the tying run in scoring position and no outs in the ninth inning of Game 2.

After two straight early postseason exits, the Phillies decided to bring back Thomson for another year. The Phillies plan on offering him another one-year extension that runs through 2027 later in the offseason.

Larry Bowa (2001) was the last Phillies manager to win Manager of the Year. Charlie Manuel finished second in NL Manager of the Year voting in 2007 and 2008.

The winner of the 2025 National League Manager of the Year Award will be announced on Nov. 11.