The Cleveland Guardians thought they had found the right guy for the job in November of 2023, when they hired Stephen Vogt to be the new manager of the organization. However, there was really no way of knowing until they saw Vogt in action.

Now, two years later, Vogt has been named American League Manager of the Year in back-to-back seasons and has established himself as one of the best skippers in all of baseball in such a short stretch.

“Obviously, I feel super honored,” explained Vogt. “The job that everyone did, and I know I played a part in it, um, but you know, just to overcome everything that we did, to win the division, get to the playoffs…”

The humble man Vogt is, he took a lot of time immediately after winning the award to give credit to not just the rest of his coaching staff and front office, but also credited the players for the work they put in with the staff this season, too.

“It speaks to the entire group. You know, Chris Anotonetti, Mike Chernoff, Matt Foreman, the rest of the front office, you know, the coaching staff, we all do this together,” said Vogt.

“I couldn't be more proud of our players. You know, we had used a number of different players. 
Our staff was overworked, but it was just, it's a really cool honor for the entire organization and just a nod to the work that our team did.”

Vogt, after winning the award for most outstanding skipper, spent plenty of time crediting the entire team, showing how everyone in the organization is on the same page, which leads to the success the Guardians have had at the major league level over the last few seasons. 

“Obviously, I know, I'm the leader and I'm out in front and I'm speaking to [the media], but everyone has their hand in this," continued Cleveland’s award-winning skipper. 

“They're working behind the scenes. They're working on the field. 
They're getting their hands dirty with players to help them give them everything they need to succeed. We're always trying to problem-solve. And it's very much a collaborative effort to get to these ideas, but we got to do it together, and I'm so thankful for the support that I have with the Cleveland organization, and it's just been really fun to work with them.”