"Stephen Vogt was made for this" - Guardians skipper draws praise from former counterpart after Manager of the Year win

On Wednesday, it was announced that Stephen Vogt of the Cleveland Guardians will be the 2024 AL Manager of the Year. Certainly one of the most effective skippers in MLB this season, Vogt also made some history.

It did not take long for voices around the baseball world to endorse the decision, made by the Baseball Writer's Association of America. In an appearance on MLB Network following the announcement, former MLB skipper Pedro Grifol claimed that the 40-year-old was "made for this."

"Stephen Vogt of the is the American League Manager of the Year!" - MLB Network Radio on Xirius XM

Pedro Grifol was the manager of the Chicago White Sox from 2023 until his termination over the summer. Having faced Vogt's Guardians as an adversary in the AL Central numerous times, Grifol has first-hand exposure to Vogt's managerial tact.

The selection makes Vogt the fifth-youngest Manager of the Year Award winner in MLB history. It also makes the California-born former catcher the fastest person ever to go from an active MLB player to a Manager of the Year.

Stephen Vogt played his final MLB game for the Oakland Athletics on October 5, 2022. Following the retirement of longtime Cleveland manager Terry Francona, Vogt was given the managerial position in November 2023.

"Just 2 years ago, Stephen Vogt homered in his last big league at-bat. Now, he is the AL Manager of the Year!" - MLB

After taking the reigns of the Cleveland Guardians - MLB's third youngest club - Vogt's manner as a former player became evident. In 2024, the Guardians amassed a 92-69 record, winning the AL Central title, and finishing with an MLB-best 50 wins at home.

Stephen Vogt is the player's manager

Although Vogt's Guardians were eliminated by the New York Yankees in the ALCS, the club has a tremendous amount to be proud of. Not least was Vogt's unique ability to connect to his players, as he told MLB.com:

“The beauty of this role in this job is that it's not about you, it's about your players and it's about their successes, there's really nothing I can do other than put people into positions to hopefully succeed, and to see our guys go out and have success, those were the high moments.”

Selected alongside Pat Murphy of the Brewers, there truly was not a more deserving manager in the AL this past season.