Stephen Vogt has led the Cleveland Guardians through plenty of adversity in 2025, making him a clear candidate to win AL Manager of the Year. 

In Stephen Vogt’s rookie season as an MLB skipper, he took home the 2025 Manager of the Year award after leading the Cleveland Guardians to win the American League Central in largely dominant fashion.

Vogt certainly was deserving of winning the accolade last season, but that may not even have been his best work as a manager.

With the regular season coming to an end this weekend, and with that, the closing of voters’ ballots, Vogt should be getting much attention and consideration for being recognized as the top skipper in the American League.

The Guardians have faced plenty of adversity this season. Some of it is expected over a 162-game marathon, and some of it no organization is prepared for. 

For example, the Guardians lost one of their rotation members in Ben Lively, who underwent Tommy John surgery in the spring, along with other injuries to the roster. 

Cleveland’s clubhouse could have collapsed after Luis Ortiz was placed on non-disciplinary leave amid a gambling investigation. It could have straight-up imploded after Emmanuel Clase’s exit for the same reasons. 

Somehow, they haven’t. 

In fact, the Guardians, in terms of record, have been better with the two pitchers out of the equation. 

There are several possible explanations for the Guardians keeping the ship afloat, but certainly one of them is the leadership and tone Vogt has demonstrated with the roster he has in front of him.

He made it clear that the focus remains on the individuals they have within their walls right now, and the team has clearly responded to that message. 

Clase and Ortiz’s absence not only could have negatively impacted the clubhouse but also affected, at the time, a fragile pitching staff. Vogt has done an absolute masterful job managing the bullpen and rotation this year, which is arguably a skipper’s biggest in-game job.

He’s made the right call about to turn the game over to the still elite reliever core, and the decision to go with a six-man rotation has ultimately been what turned the season around and led to the historic September the Guardians have put together. 

Vogt also helped the Guardians navigate a dramatic trade deadline when the team moved on from former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber and fielded numerous calls for their All-Star outfielder, Steven Kwan. 

You never know how those types of rumors and reports can affect a group, and Vogt made sure they didn’t.

The Guardians have already surpassed the season win projections that were given to them during spring training. MLB.com projected Cleveland to finish with 80 wins, and FanGraphs predicted 79 victories for the Guardians.  

In a season where everything seemed to be heading in the wrong direction for the Guardians, Vogt helped steer it back in the right direction, and now the Guardians are closing in on clinching their second playoff berth in Vogt’s first two seasons.