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Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio is gaining unexpected momentum as a potential successor to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, who is set to step down in January 2029. According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, multiple team owners have already begun quietly pushing Attanasio as their preferred candidate for the league’s top executive post.
While it’s far too early for any decision to be close to finalized, the early buzz surrounding Attanasio has turned heads around the league. Though he’s not a household name to casual fans, Attanasio has quietly built a reputation among his fellow owners as a stabilizing and pragmatic voice—particularly one sympathetic to small-market franchises' challenges.
Since purchasing the Brewers in 2005, Attanasio has presided over one of MLB's more consistently competitive small-market teams. Milwaukee has made the playoffs five times in the last six full seasons, a stretch few teams outside the biggest-spending clubs can claim. However, postseason success has largely eluded the Brewers during that span, and Attanasio has faced criticism from fans for his reluctance to expand payroll—even during competitive windows significantly.
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Despite those frustrations, Attanasio’s peers seem to admire his fiscal restraint and business acumen. In fact, those qualities may make him especially appealing to MLB’s ownership group, who will ultimately decide Manfred’s replacement. A commissioner who favors controlling spending and representing small markets would likely be welcomed with open arms by many in the room where the decision will be made.
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Still, Attanasio would not be a popular choice with the MLB Players Association. His reputation as a cost-conscious owner who has rarely greenlit major free-agent spending could alienate player leadership, particularly as the league continues to grapple with labor tension and revenue distribution concerns. Any potential appointment would almost certainly be met with skepticism—or outright opposition—by the MLBPA.
For Brewers fans, the possibility of Attanasio transitioning to a league-wide role opens a significant question: what happens to the team? If he were to be named commissioner, Attanasio would need to sell or transfer control of the Brewers, a move that would bring major uncertainty to the franchise’s long-term direction. It would be the second time a Brewers owner ascended to the commissioner’s seat—Bud Selig famously led MLB from 1992 to 2015 after previously owning the Brewers.
Of course, Attanasio is far from a lock to be Manfred’s successor. Other names already in the mix include high-profile executives like Theo Epstein, MLB’s Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem, and sports mogul Casey Wasserman, among others. More contenders will likely emerge in the coming years as the league charts its post-Manfred path.
Still, the early traction behind Attanasio speaks volumes. The owners are already eyeing someone who understands their business challenges, especially from the perspective of a small-market team. Whether or not he ultimately becomes commissioner, Attanasio’s name will likely be part of this conversation right up until Manfred’s final days in office.
