Stephen Vogt stuck around as an MLB player for as long as he could. He subsequently became AL Manager of the Year in his first year in this position.
The Cleveland Guardians captain was named the winner of the award on Tuesday, beating out finalists Matt Quatraro of the Kansas City Royals and AJ Hinch of the Detroit Tigers in an all-AL Central affair. Just like in the divisional standings, the Guardians came out on top this year.
Vogt received 27 of the BBWAA’s 30 first-place votes, with Quatraro taking two and Hinch the last. Joe Espada (Houston Astros), Aaron Boone (New York Yankees), Mark Kotsay (Oakland Athletics), Rocco Baldelli (Minnesota Twins) and Alex Cora (Boston Red Sox) all received second or third place finishes.
The victory comes 26 months after Vogt announced his retirement as a player after ten years in the major leagues. He began his coaching career as a bullpen and quality control coach for the Seattle Mariners, making the jump to manager after one season.
Per Sarah Langs of MLB.comit is the fastest person ever to go from player to Manager of the Year. Joe Girardi was the previous record holder, having gone from a 2003 player to winning the award in 2006 with the Miami Marlins.
The Guardians certainly took a risk on a rookie manager with limited coaching experience, but they had to aim high after the “retirement” of longtime manager Terry Francona (Francona has since come out of retirement to become manager of the Cincinnati Reds). In retrospect, the Guardians needed a change after a 76-86 season, and got one in Vogt.
Cleveland jumped from 16 wins in 2024, winning a competitive division and reaching the ALCS. Their lineup, led by José Ramírez and Steven Kwan, was one of the most underrated in baseball. Their rotation was an obvious weak link, but it was bolstered by the best bullpen in the league, with four different guys with an ERA under 2.00 in at least 65 innings pitched: Emmanuel Clase, Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis and Tim Herrin.
The roster was ultimately overwhelmed by the New York Yankees in the ALCS (who disregarded the BBWAA vote), but 2024 marked a significant step forward for Cleveland. The Royals and Tigers might have made the playoffs after not being expected to get anywhere near .500, but Vogt arguably had an even tougher task than his counterparts, taking over a team trying to bounce back to the playoffs after losing a Hall of Famer. manager and some notable additions.
Vogt has succeeded and he should have plenty of time to add to his list of achievements.
