The 2024 season felt nothing short of magical for the Cleveland Guardians. 92 wins, an ALDS berth, multiple unforgettable walk offs during the regular and post-season. Accompanied by a roster of underdogs, but all led by a young manager in his debut season. It only seems fitting that Stephen Vogt took home the honors of American League Manager of the Year on Tuesday evening.
The 40-year-old received 27 out of the 30 possible first place votes, beating out two division rivals for the award: Detroit Tiger’s A.J. Hinch and Kansas City Royal’s Matt Quatraro.
Vogt became the third Cleveland Manager to take home the AL Manager of the Year Award, alongside Eric Wedge in 2017 and Terry Francona (2013, ’16, ’22).
After retiring as a player in 2022, Vogt spent one year in Seattle as the bullpen coach for the Mariners. Then, last off-season Cleveland decided to take a chance on him despite his limited coaching experience.
Taking over for the legendary manager Francona could seem intimidating for some, but Vogt said the success he wanted to find had nothing to do with Tito and everything to do with being his authentic self.
“I knew I had to come in and be myself. I knew I would never replace Tito or fill his shoes. I just wanted to come in and be me and help our players be as good as they could be. That was the goal from day one,” Vogt said.
Vogt’s goal paid off and found him success on and off the field, making a 16-game win jump in 2024, becoming the fifth manager in MLB history to take a team to the postseason within two seasons of his playing career, and now AL MOY.
With at least two more years at the helm of the Guardians, Vogt was asked what the encore for next season would be. He only further proved why he was the right choice for the award, and for Cleveland saying, “Hopefully we win the last game of the year next year. That’s the goal.”