The Cleveland Guardians took home the American League Central title for the second time in the last three seasons with a record of 92-69.
What makes winning the division even more impressive is the fact that three teams from the AL Central made the postseason in 2024.
The Guardians made a postseason run to the American League Championship Series, but they ended up losing to the New York Yankees.
Stephen Vogt won the American League Manager of the Year Award in his first season with the Guardians, and he revealed his honest thoughts on managing in the playoffs.
“There’s a lot more pressure when you’re playing, as a manager, you don’t feel that pressure,” Vogt said.
Stephen Vogt explains why he thinks there's more pressure playing in the playoffs as opposed to managing. pic.twitter.com/Nmctb0iI8n
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) November 25, 2024
While Vogt said there is more pressure as a player, he did describe the different types of pressure he faced as a manager in the postseason.
Vogt mentions the internal pressure, but he also says that he felt prepared for all of the different situations and was not caught off guard during their postseason run.
The Guardians played October baseball in Vogt’s first season as manager after missing the playoffs in 2023 with a record of 76-86.
Vogt describes not feeling as much pressure as a manager because he is just putting his trust in the players and putting them in the best situations to be successful.
The Guardians and Vogt will try to make the postseason for the second consecutive season in 2025 for the first time since the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
With the young and talented roster that the Guardians possess, they will look to contend for their third World Series title in franchise history next season.
NEXT: Guardians Offer Condolences After Former Player Passes Away
