Stephen Vogt stayed in Cleveland’s dugout after the last out of the season, feeling a mix of pain and determination.
As the New York Yankees celebrated their Game 5 victory that secured their first AL pennant since 2009, Vogt watched. This was his first season as a major league manager, and he had taken the Guardians further in the playoffs than many expected.
He made himself a promise. “I want it next year and it’s never going to stop driving me,” Vogt said.
Three days after the painful ALCS loss, Vogt and Cleveland’s top executives spoke to the media on Tuesday to reflect on the team’s impressive 2024 season and discuss their plans to repeat that success.
This was meant to be a rebuilding year, but it turned out to be much more. Expected to finish around .500 with one of the youngest rosters in baseball, the Guardians took first place in April and never looked back.
They won 92 games to claim the AL Central, which became the most competitive division in MLB.
The Guardians rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the Division Series to beat Detroit, then pushed the talented Yankees to their limits, winning a thrilling Game 3 at home with a walk-off homer before falling just three wins short of the World Series.
While the disappointment is real, the growth of the Guardians is clear.
“We know we have areas to improve, and we learned a lot about our players,” Vogt said. “We learned a lot about our staff. I learned a lot about how to do this job and navigating through the first season the way we did. We checked about every box you could other than winning the last game of the year, and that’s what the goal is.”
At this time last year, the team was facing a scary unknown. Terry Francona, the most successful manager in the club’s history and a future Hall of Famer, had stepped down after 11 seasons, leaving a big gap. Then came Vogt, who more than stepped up to fill it.
The experienced catcher was hired by the Guardians even though he had never managed a game at any level. He was known for being hard-working, studious, and a great teammate who had a talent for funny impersonations. He excelled as a manager.
“We had really high expectations,” said Chris Antonetti, the club’s president of baseball operations. “Stephen blew all of those out of the water. What he has been able to contribute as someone that’s new to the job, it’s a marvel to me.
You could not expect someone who’s done what he’s done in the first year in any position and be as successful as he’s been.”
Antonetti pointed out that from the moment he started, Vogt built strong connections with his players, both personally and professionally. He provided them support and space, helping them achieve more than they thought possible.
After the tough Game 5 loss in extra innings, Antonetti noticed many players waiting outside Vogt’s office to give him hugs and express their gratitude. “It was so powerful to see,” Antonetti said.
Vogt wasn’t perfect. He made mistakes, including a significant one in Cleveland’s last game when he chose to have Tanner Bibee pitch to Giancarlo Stanton in the sixth inning while leading 2-0 with a base open. Stanton hit a game-tying, two-run homer.
Vogt stated that he has no regrets. “When it works, it works,” he said. “And when it doesn’t, you are wrong. That’s just the way that this job works. I learned that this year, so I wouldn’t go back and change anything.”
Maybe just the way it ended.
