9/22/25 : Al Pedrique named Vukovich Award winner!

AL PEDRIQUE SELECTED AS 2025 JOHN VUKOVICH AWARD WINNER

Phillies Press Release

          Al Pedrique, the Reading Fightin Phils manager, has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the John Vukovich Award, the club announced today.

            The 65-year-old Pedrique joined the Phillies organization in his current role for the 2023 season. His 173 wins over his first three years with Reading rank ninth among the 26 managers in Fightin Phils history. During his time with Reading, the Venezuela native has assisted in the development of Otto Kemp, Orion Kerkering, Max Lazar, Johan Rojas and top Phillies prospects such as Moisés Chace, Justin Crawford, Aroon Escobar, Aidan Miller, Dante Nori and Gabriel Rincones Jr.

“Al Pedrique has built an extraordinary career filled with accomplishments across many roles in the game,” said Luke Murton, Phillies director, player development. “What sets him apart is the unique combination of energy, wisdom and humility he brings to working with young players. His passion for teaching and his dedication to his craft are unmatched. Al is the type of coach whose impact resonates long after players move on—when they look back, they realize how fortunate they were to have played for him. We are grateful to have him in our organization and look forward to the continued influence he will have in the years ahead.”

            Pedrique, a former shortstop, was signed by the New York Mets as an amateur free agent in 1978. He played professionally for 17 years, including parts of three seasons in the major leagues with the Mets (1987), Pittsburgh Pirates (1987-88) and Detroit Tigers (1989). Pedrique spent 14 seasons as a minor league manager in the organizations of the Kansas City Royals (1995-97), Houston Astros (1999-2000), Arizona Diamondbacks (2001-03), New York Yankees (2013-17) and Miami Marlins (2021) prior to his time with the Phillies. During his coaching career, he has also spent time in various roles at the major league level with the Diamondbacks (2004), Astros (2009-11), Oakland Athletics (2018-20) and Marlins (2022).

“I am deeply honored to receive the John Vukovich Award,” said Pedrique. “This recognition represents the collective effort and commitment of the entire organization. It is a privilege to be part of this team.”

The 2025 John Vukovich Award will be presented on the field on Thursday, Sept. 25, prior to the 6:05 p.m. game against the Marlins. The award was established in 2007 to honor Vukovich, the longest-tenured coach in Phillies history (17 seasons) and one of the most respected people to ever wear a Phillies uniform. It is presented annually to an instructor in the Phillies organization who embodies the characteristics of the award’s namesake: loyalty, dedication, competitiveness, knowledge, honesty and a terrific work ethic. Vukovich, who spent 30 of his 41 years in baseball with the Phillies, passed away in March 2007.

Past winners of the John Vukovich Award have been Ramon Henderson (2007), Bill Dancy (2008), Roly deArmas (2009), Mike Compton (2010), Greg Legg (2011), Carlos Arroyo (2012), Manny Amador (2013), Sal Rende (2014), Steve Schrenk (2015), Larry Bowa (2016), Doug Mansolino (2017), Rafael DeLima (2018), Ernie Whitt (2019), Orlando Muñoz (2021), Marty Malloy (2022), Lester Straker (2023) and Chris Heintz (2024). The award was not given in 2020.