Manager Stephen Vogt Joins Historic List By Leading Cleveland Guardians to Playoffs

Stephen Vogt only hung up his cleats in 2022, but the rookie manager has already helped the Cleveland Guardians clinch a spot in the MLB postseason.

Sep 4, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt (12) watches from the dugout against the Kansas City Royals prior to a game at Kauffman Stadium. / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

This time last year, the Cleveland Guardians were rounding out their worst season in over a decade, sending their Hall of Fame manager out with a whimper.

Terry Francona could only get the Guardians to 76-86, unable to bring them back to the playoffs for a seventh time in 11 years. He retired and passed the torch to Stephen Vogt, who was only one year removed from suiting up as a catcher for the Oakland Athletics.

Vogt, in his first season as Cleveland's manager, has brought the franchise back to the postseason.

The Guardians needed a win over the Minnesota Twins in order to clinch a playoff spot on Thursday. Andrés Giménez delivered that win with a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th, punching Cleveland's ticket to October in the process.

Night, night. Sleep tight. 😴#ForTheLand | #GuardiWWins pic.twitter.com/FtwLxNrRtW

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) September 19, 2024

At 89-65, the Guardians lead the AL Central by 6.5 games with eight games remaining. Their magic number to win the division is three, considering the Kansas City Royals own the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Even if Cleveland were to collapse and fall into a Wild Card spot, though, Vogt would still have made history.

Vogt is the fifth manager ever to lead his team to a postseason appearance within two seasons of playing – excluding player/managers – per MLB.com's Sarah Langs. No one has achieved the feat since Jim Fregosi with the California Angels in 1979.

Yogi Berra also did so with the New York Yankees in 1964, right after Al Dark led the San Francisco Giants to the playoffs in 1962. Philadelphia Phillies manager Pat Moran was the first member of the club, establishing it back in 1915.

Stephen Vogt is the 5th manager to lead his team to a postseason appearance within 2 seasons of playing, having never been a player/manager, joining:

1979 Jim Fregosi, CAL
1964 Yogi Berra, NYY
1962 Al Dark, SF
1915 Pat Moran, PHI

!!!

h/t @EliasSports https://t.co/q5kCaP8imX

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) September 19, 2024

At 39 years old, Vogt is the second-youngest active MLB manager, behind only St. Louis Cardinals skipper Oliver Marmol. Considering the Cardinals are 7.0 games out of the final NL Wild Card spot, Vogt will almost assuredly be the youngest manager in the postseason this year.

The Guardians are the third team to clinch a playoff spot in 2024. The Milwaukee Brewers and New York Yankees did so on Wednesday, while the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers have a chance to join the field on Thursday.

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