The Brewers’ Pat Murphy took home the honor.

New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza finished third in the National League Manager of the Year race, losing to Pat Murphy of the Milwaukee Brewers and finishing behind Mike Shildt of the San Diego Padres. Murphy received 27 of the 30 first place votes, with Mendoza, Shildt, and Rob Thomson of the Philadelphia Phillies each getting one first place vote as well.

Mendoza, like Murphy, was a first-year manager who took his team to the playoffs. Before managing the Mets, Mendoza spent six seasons in the Yankees organization, eventually settling into the position of bench coach in 2019. Mendoza is the fourth Mets manager since Terry Collins stepped down at the end of 2017, with Mickey Callaway managing the team in 2018 and 2019, Luis Rojas in 2020 and 2021, and Buck Showalter in 2022 and 2023.

Mendoza endeared himself to players and press alike with his open and honest demeanor, as well as the ability to not let big losses or big wins affect his personality after a game. A straight shooter, Mendoza managed to keep a team that was 11 games over .500 and a team that staved off elimination for three straight weeks as calm and collected as a team that put its faith in a McDonald’s mascot and one that was the best team in baseball for three months.

Despite finishing third in the voting, Mendoza’s team lasted longest of any of the three finalists, with the Mets knocking Murphy’s Brewers out of the postseason in the Wild Card round.