The Cleveland Guardians kick off their 2026 season against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday in what could be a potential playoff preview if both teams live up to their potential. Both teams made the postseason last year, and the Mariners were one game away from their first World Series in franchise history, so it will be a good early indicator of how the Guardians measure up to the best the American League has to offer.
Cleveland will once again be looking to end the league’s longest World Series drought. Luckily, one of the biggest things the team has going for it to help with that quest is two-time Manager of the Year Stephen Vogt.
Vogt has won Manager of the Year in his first two years at the helm, and if you ask Anthony Castrovince of MLB Network, Vogt could absolutely do it again.
During a recent appearance on Baskin and Phelps, he staked his claim and said that if the Guardians win the AL Central again, Vogt might have some more hardware waiting for him.
“If they win the division again, he might have a shot at [winning Manager of the Year] again. I don’t think too many people think the Guardians will defend their title. He might have a shot at it,” Castrovince said.
"If they win the division again, he might have a shot at it."
➡️ @castrovince w/ @CLETalkingHeads on whether #Guardians manager Stephen Vogt could win Manager of the Year again in 2026 pic.twitter.com/szCwxTCpJb
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) March 25, 2026
Obviously, the team has higher hopes than simply winning Vogt another Manager of the Year award, but it would be a natural byproduct of the team accomplishing its goals. The Guardians spent next to no money this offseason to upgrade the roster, and most are projecting the Detroit Tigers or Kansas City Royals to win the division, so if the Guardians buck the odds and do it again, of course, Vogt will be in the mix.
Even some of the team’s insiders and beat writers don’t believe another playoff berth awaits them at the end of the year, but nobody believed last year either.
Hopefully, the Guardians can prove them all wrong once again.
NEXT: Guardians Have One Big Thing To Prove In 2026
