Since Stephen Vogt was announced as the Cleveland Guardians manager before the 2024 campaign, he has used the resources available to him well and won. His team isn’t as overpowering as the Los Angeles Dodgers or as analytical as the Tampa Bay Rays, but the Guardians win. Plain and simple.
Vogt and his players have made the postseason in his first two seasons at the helm, 2024 and 2025, and even reached the AL Championship Series in the former. This year, even with a subpar season from his best player, Jose Ramirez, the skipper is about to go to his third straight postseason.
Right now, the Guardians are 82-76 and have four games left in the regular season calendar. They have won 21 of their last 31, so they are playing their best ball of the season at the most opportune time.
The most important takeaway is that Cleveland doesn’t depend on anyone but itself to seal its ticket to the postseason this week. As Vogt said, they control their own destiny, and that’s something they earned.
“We know we control our own destiny still. So, I like where we are. We’ve got four games left, and we have a chance to get in. That’s all you can ask for,” Vogt said, per Mason Horodyski of News 5 Cleveland.
(Via #Guardians audio) Stephen Vogt to reporters in Boston on Cleveland’s playoff picture:
“…we know we control our own destiny still. So, I like where we are. We've got four games left, and we have a chance to get in. That's all you can ask for.”#GuardsBall x @WEWS
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) September 24, 2026
If the Guardians win on Thursday night against the Boston Red Sox, they will clinch their third straight postseason spot, fourth in the last five years, and fifth in their last seven. However, they may also get in with a loss, as long as one of the Texas Rangers or the Houston Astros is beaten on Thursday.
A spot in October seems like a foregone conclusion at this point, barring an unmitigated disaster. The Guardians, however, are still fighting with the Chicago White Sox for the AL Central crown.
Whoever wins the division will definitely have an easier path in the postseason, as it will likely earn the second seed and a first-round bye. The end of the week will be very exciting for both Guardians and White Sox fans, as there’s still a lot at stake for both franchises.
NEXT: Analyst Reveals How Guardians Can Clinch Playoff Spot
