The Cleveland Guardians have found their guy. Stephen Vogt has proven to be the right manager to lead this team to the mountaintop.
He’s won back-to-back Manager of the Year awards and consecutive AL Central division titles, and that’s despite not having the most talent on the roster. That’s why it only makes sense that he’s now aiming a little higher. When asked about his goal for the upcoming season, Vogt had a brutally honest response.
He’s not settling for divisional pennants anymore:
“I’d prefer to not have a 15.5 game hole this year. I think the expectations and pressure are all external. We’re trying to win as many games as we can so we have a chance to win the World Series. I don’t want to win the division. I want to win the World Series. If we win the division on the way to doing that, awesome. But we want that ultimate prize,” Vogt said.
The Guardians gave Vogt a three-year deal when they first signed him. He’s now entering the final year of his contract, and he’s done more than enough to show that he’s worth keeping around for the long run.
The way this team rallied from behind to make the playoffs and win the division last season was unprecedented, and it should be quite encouraging for years to come. It takes a special leader to keep a team motivated and focused through the struggles.
The Guardians lost two key pieces to a sports gambling-related incident, including their superstar closer. That would’ve destroyed team morale in most clubhouses, but not there.
Of course, it takes much more than just a good manager to go the distance in baseball, especially in this modern era. But if the front office makes the move they need to make and the young players are slightly ahead of schedule in their development, this team can make a deep postseason run this season.
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