Stephen Vogt has been named AL Manager of the Year in each of his two seasons, with the Cleveland Guardians winning back-to-back AL Central titles. But Vogt knows more than anyone that he didn’t do it alone.
A trustworthy coaching staff is the key to any manager’s success, and even though there has been some turnover in his brief tenure, Vogt has several cohorts he can rely on. Hitting coach Grant Fink, who took on the role last season, is one of them.
At this year’s spring training, Vogt raved about Fink’s “tremendous” growth, which he expects will only continue.
“Grant’s growth in one year was tremendous. Going from a coordinator role the last five or six years to stepping into a big league dugout to be a hitting coach is a huge step, and he has exceeded any expectation last year,” Vogt said. “This offseason, there is a different Grant Fink in the cage and coaches room. He’s confident and is very sure of what we need to be doing better, and the players are buying into it. I’ve seen him build trust with the players, and you know, we have to earn our players’ trust. It is not just given.”
Fink was promoted to his role following the 2024 season. He replaced Chris Valaika, who left to join the Cincinnati Reds’ staff under former Cleveland manager Terry Francona.
Now 35 years old, Fink has been with the Cleveland organization for more than a decade. He was a 23rd-round pick in the 2013 MLB Draft and had a brief minor league career. He became a minor league hitting coach in 2017.
His role could become even more important as Vogt’s coaching staff is undergoing a major change this season. Tony Arnerich is taking over as bench coach, replacing Craig Albernaz, who held the role in Vogt’s first two years before being named manager of the Baltimore Orioles this offseason.
Fortunately, pitching coach Carl Willis is back for his ninth straight season, and 16th overall. So, combined with Fink, there should be a good level of continuity heading into those key roles in 2026.
With Vogt reportedly under contract for multiple years after signing a contract extension prior to last season, the Guardians can focus on getting back to the ALCS, which they reached in 2024, which was the first year of his original three-year deal. Hopefully, they will then be able to get back to the World Series for the first time since 2016 and win it for the first time in almost 80 years.
If they do, it will undoubtedly be the result of a collective effort in the dugout.
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