Cleveland Baseball Insider

Guardians Manager Garners Major Honor In First Season At Helm

Cleveland's Stephen Vogt has been named the 2024 American League Manager of the Year by The Sporting News.
Logan Potosky|
Oct 14, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt is introduced before playing against the New York Yankees game one of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Oct 14, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt is introduced before playing against the New York Yankees game one of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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Cleveland Guardians

Entering the 2023-24 offseason, the Cleveland Guardians were searching for a new manager to fill some very big shoes.

Terry Francona stepped down as the franchise's all-time winningest manager, setting club records for seasons managed (11) and winning seasons (nine) as well. He took Cleveland to the postseason six times, including winning the 2016 American League pennant.

The team eventually hired Stephen Vogt, who has now earned a significant honor for a remarkable first season as an MLB manager.

On Thursday, the 39-year-old was named the 2024 American League Manager of the Year by The Sporting News. Vogt is now the fourth manager in franchise history to receive this honor, joining Francona (twice), Eric Wedge, and Mike Hargrove.

Vogt led the Guardians to their 12th AL Central title in franchise history, and their second in the last three seasons. Cleveland won 92 games, the second-most in the American League, and clinched the second seed in the AL postseason.

The Guardians also led the American League with 50 home wins during the 2024 regular season, allowing the second-fewest total runs in the AL (621) and finishing tied for fourth in the AL in overall run differential (+87).

A baseball manager interacting with his players while wearing a navy jersey, gray pants, and navy hat.
Oct 14, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt is introduced before playing against the New York Yankees game one of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

In the playoffs, Cleveland then defeated the Detroit Tigers 3-2 in a best-of-five American League Division Series, punching their ticket to the 2024 American League Championship Series. With this series win, Vogt became part of the first pair of rookie managers in MLB history to reach the League Championship Series.

The Guardians eventually fell to the top-seeded New York Yankees 4-1 in the best-of-seven ALCS, three wins shy of their first World Series appearance in eight years.

With an impressive first managerial season, the future in Cleveland looks very bright with Stephen Vogt at the helm.

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Logan Potosky
LOGAN POTOSKY

Logan Potosky is an aspiring play-by-play sports broadcaster who, to date, has called approximately 350+ hours of professional, college, and high school sporting events. He is currently the Play-by-Play Broadcaster for the Lake County Captains, the High-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. He graduated from John Carroll University in May of 2023 with a degree in Communication, with a concentration in Digital Media, and a minor in Entrepreneurship.

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