The outside world did not believe in the Cleveland Guardians heading into 2026. Stephen Vogt is fine with that.
After a stretch that saw Cleveland take series against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs while splitting with the Seattle Mariners, the Guardians manager addressed what this group has already accomplished in the earliest weeks of the season.
“I know probably not many people had that record on paper for us. So I think, you know, we’re just proving to ourselves again: We are good, and we know that,” Vogt said.
"I know probably not many people had that record on paper for us. So I think, you know, we're just proving to ourselves again: We are good, and we know that"#Guardians Stephen Vogt on the team's hot start against the likes of the Mariners, Dodgers, and Cubs#GuardsBall @WEWS pic.twitter.com/M1G8DxI7M6
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) April 6, 2026
Cleveland has spent years operating under the radar while national analysts questioned their roster, payroll, and their ability to compete with teams in the bigger markets. The Guardians have responded the same way every time. They go out and win baseball games.
What makes this start particularly meaningful is the quality of competition Cleveland has already faced. The Dodgers arrived as the defending World Series champions and one of the most talented rosters in the sport. The Cubs followed as a legitimate postseason contender with a deep pitching staff. The Mariners are no pushover either.
Vogt has been a steady and calming presence in the dugout since taking over as manager, and his words after Sunday’s doubleheader split reflect a belief that runs through the entire clubhouse. This is not a team that needs external validation to feel good about itself. They have been doubted before. They know what they are capable of.
What the first ten games have shown is that the blend Jose Ramirez described before the season began is already paying dividends. Young players are stepping up in big moments. Veterans are providing the kind of steady production that keeps a team above water during the rough patches of a 162-game season. The pitching staff has been every bit as reliable as advertised.
The Guardians are not trying to prove anything to the national media or the projections that left them out of their division winner picks. They are proving something to themselves.
6-4 through ten games against one of the toughest early schedules in baseball. Not bad for a team nobody believed in.
NEXT: C.J Kayfus Has Big Day In Guardians Win Over Cubs
