Stephen Vogt Named AL Manager of the Year in Historic Debut Season

A winning record in his first managerial season wasn’t enough. An American League Central title wasn’t enough. A run to the AL Championship Series wasn’t enough. Stephen Vogt had to make history.

Stephen Vogt was awarded the 2024 AL Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Tuesday night, as announced on MLB Network. This honor marks the third time in the past decade that a Cleveland skipper has received this accolade. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Vogt is the fifth-youngest manager to win the award, following in the footsteps of Rocco Baldelli, Buck Showalter, Tony La Russa, and Eric Wedge. Vogt secured 27 of the 30 first-place votes.

“I’m very proud,” Vogt said. “I’m always going to give the credit to the people that have to go out and do it, and that’s the players.”

In achieving this recognition, Vogt set a new precedent in Major League Baseball. Previously, Joe Girardi was the fastest to transition from player to Manager of the Year, winning the award in 2006 after playing with the Cardinals in 2003. Vogt, however, finished his playing career on October 5, 2022, with the A's, and just 397 days later, without prior managerial experience, he was hired as Cleveland’s manager. By the end of 2024, he had set the record as the fastest person to go from player to Manager of the Year.

Vogt faced significant challenges along the way. The Guardians concluded the 2023 season with a 76-86 record. During the offseason, the team made modest additions, including backup catcher Austin Hedges and starter/reliever Ben Lively. These moves were not seen as game-changing, and there were concerns about the team's offensive capabilities. Additionally, Vogt had no prior managerial experience, leading many to doubt his ability to lead the team.

Vogt attributes much of his success to his coaching staff, especially pitching coach Carl Willis, whom Vogt credits with an immense knowledge of the game. From the outset, Vogt demonstrated an ability to unify the team and instill a shared vision.

“The beauty of this role in this job is that it's not about you, it's about your players and it's about their successes,” Vogt said. “There's really nothing I can do other than put people into positions to hopefully succeed, and to see our guys go out and have success, those were the high moments.”

​Stephen Vogt's recognition as AL Manager of the Year not only underscores his managerial prowess but also highlights the collective effort and resilience of the Cleveland Guardians. With Vogt at the helm, the team is poised to build on this success and aim for even greater achievements in the coming seasons.