Pair of Rookie Managers Set to Make Baseball History After Guiding Teams to LCS Round

Two claps for Stephen Vogt and Carlos Mendoza!

New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) and Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy (21) shake hands before game one of the Wildcard round for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at American Family Field on Oct 1. / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

On Sunday night, the National League Championship Series begins between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets.

On Monday night, the American League Championship Series will take center stage with the Cleveland Guardians visiting the New York Yankees.

The Yankees and Dodgers are managed by a pair of veterans in Aaron Boone and Dave Roberts, but the other two teams are managed by first-year skippers, which makes this LCS round unique from a historic perspective.

Per Sarah Langs of MLB.com:

with Stephen Vogt & Carlos Mendoza, this will be the first time that two rookie managers will manage in the LCS in the same year

with Stephen Vogt & Carlos Mendoza, this will be the first time that two rookie managers will manage in the LCS in the same year https://t.co/0bKmlTfUuf

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) October 12, 2024

In Vogt's case, he took over for a future Hall of Fame manager in Terry Francona. That alone is an incredible task to undertake, but it was made even harder by taking over a roster that finished third last year in the American League Central. His roster was also hit with injuries as relievers James Karinchak and Trevor Stephan were lost for the season. Shane Bieber also underwent Tommy John surgery after just two starts.

Vogt still oversaw a team that won the American League Central and then vanquished the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS.

Mendoza also took over for a probable Hall of Famer in Buck Showalter in New York. And, he also took over a team that was thought to be rebuilding. The Mets traded away Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer last year and were still saddled with their huge contract payments, but they've found a way to overcome anyways. They made the playoffs on the last day of the season, beating the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies in the playoffs to this point.

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