This Message From Guardians' Stephen Vogt Led To AL's Best Record

Stephen Vogt knows exactly how to connect with his players in Cleveland.

Jun 4, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor (22) celebrates his two-run home run with manager Stephen Vogt (12) in the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Guardians boast the best record in the American League at 51-28, which has been a surprise, to say the least.

After all, the Guardians won just 76 games last season, and they lost their best starting pitcher, Shane Bieber, to Tommy John surgery in early April of this year.

As a result, not many expected Cleveland to even contend for a playoff spot, let alone challenge for the best mark in all of baseball.

But thanks much in part to some superb managing from first-year skipper Stephen Vogt, the Guardians seem to have a legitimate chance of winning 100 games.

So, what has been Vogt's secret? It may start with how well he has connected with his players, and the message he has preached has surely allowed his guys to play the game with a carefree attitude that has led to tremendous success over the first half of 2024.

“This is fun. That’s one thing I tell these guys all the time: Don’t ever lose sight that we’re still playing a game. And for four hours a day, you get to go be a 12-year-old kid,” Vogt said, via Gabe Lacques of USA TODAY Sports. “There’s a business side, there’s family and all these other things. That’s real, and that’s important, too. But for three, four hours a night, you get to go be a 12-year-old kid and suit up and play the game you love.”

That certainly rings true, and while Vogt's message is definitely not the sole reason why Steven Kwan is hitting a blistering .373, he definitely deserves credit for creating the environment for players like Kwan and Jose Ramirez—both of whom are finalists in All-Star voting—to thrive.

Guardians starting pitcher Triston McKenzie added that Vogt is "definitely a players' manager" and "does a good job connecting with the guys, building relationships."

Cleveland is certainly not the most talented team in an American League that features loaded juggernauts like the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles, so there has to be another reason why the club has been so successful, right?

Perhaps Vogt and his light-hearted, yet entirely valid and precise commission to his players has been the catalyst.

The Guardians will look to snap a two-game skid when they take on the Kansas City Royals in the second matchup of a four-game series on Friday night.