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'I want it next year': Stephen Vogt reflects on first year as Guardians manager, '25 goals
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- 'I want it next year': Stephen Vogt reflects on first year as Guardians manager, '25 goals
CLEVELAND — Perhaps nobody was more excited to go to work and do their job in the year 2024 than Stephen Vogt , who was entering his first season as a manager .
He enjoyed all the learning processes. He enjoyed the daily to-do lists. He enjoyed the ups and downs.
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He loved seeing the clubhouse come together to the point that he was brought to tears after a game in September. He loved going to battle every day, through the highs of making the playoffs and beating the Detroit Tigers to the lows of having their run ended at the hands of the New York Yankees just three wins shy of the World Series.
Vogt seemed to have genuinely loved every second of it.
Now that he has some time off coming up, he's not even really sure what to do with himself. This is — still — all new to him.
Perhaps one of Vogt's best qualities, and what allowed him to "mesh" so well with the coaching staff in 2024, was his willingness to say: "I don't know."
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That was his response when asked if he'd be able to throttle down after the excitement of making the American League Championship Series.
"That was so much fun," Vogt said, reflecting on the playoff run and his first year as a manager. "We came up short. We're not done. We knew we wanted more, but just watching guess guys and the help that the Cleveland organization [gave], the support that they proved me to learn quickly and get my feet under me, I couldn't be more thankful."
"I had an absolute blast this year, and we know it left me even more hungry watching that celebration the other night [by the Yankees]. I wanted to take it in for a few minutes. I want it next year. It's never going to stop driving me."
Oct 12, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt (12) celebrates defeating the Detroit Tigers during game five of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Guardians, Stephen Vogt reflect on 2024 season, playoff run
It'd be impossible to see Vogt's first season as the Guardians manager as anything other than a smashing success . The Guardians were mostly picked to win 74-78 games. They instead won 92 and an American League Central Division that ended up being much more competitive than expected. They were three wins away from the World Series (and in two of their ALCS losses, they had it tied in the eighth inning or later).
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But one of the most noteworthy scenes to president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti was seeing how so many players made it a point to thank Vogt for his support and leadership throughout the season.
Vogt is often one who deflects praise or positive attribution — in a very similar way that Terry Francona used to do as well. So Antonetti started a statement — with Vogt sitting next to him — by saying "I'm going to make Vogter really uncomfortable."
"A year ago at this time, we kind of were transitioning away from Tito and wondering what the future might be," Antonetti said. "I think we had really high expectations, but Stephen blew all of those out of the water. I think what he's been able to contribute as someone that's new to the job is a marvel to me."
There's a reason veteran catcher Austin Hedges gave Stephen Vogt the championship belt after the Guardians clinched their playoff spot.
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"The environment that he creates, not only in the clubhouse but throughout the organization, brings out the best in people," Antonetti said. "It's brought out the best of the players, it's brought out the best of the staff. It's helped us be better as a front office."
"It was so powerful to see, even at the end of the year, there was a parade of players walking into his office, giving him a hug, saying, 'Thank you,' and, 'I love you.' Just to see that and the bonds that he built with individual people was extraordinary."
Guardians offseason plans geared toward 2025 spring training preparation
The next step for the Guardians is to do all they can to ensure that the surprising 2024 season ends up being a building block rather than an aberration.
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As some Guardians players said moments after the ALCS Game 5 loss to the Yankees , the process toward preparing for next year and spring training starts "tomorrow." That particularly goes for a group of pitchers who were extended pretty far during the playoff run. The work toward putting each player into their own individual plan heading into spring training 2025 begins now.
"We have to make sure we, and our players as a group and as individuals, understand the importance of the offseason and how that impacts their performance in 2025," Antonetti said. "We can get guys rest and recover and do what they need to do, but then immediately begin helping them, supporting them to achieve some of the goals that they need to accomplish this offseason to position themselves best for 2025."
"We need the group of players that are here to stake a step forward, and it's a good group to bet on."
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt reflects on 2024 season
