The Cleveland Guardians have clinched a postseason berth, and they did so in the most Guardians way possible: on a walk-off hit-by-pitch. But just getting to that point, where they could clinch, was nothing short of remarkable.
Cleveland was down 15.5 games in the AL Central and was far back for a wild card spot in the AL with little time to go. Making this comeback was nothing short of incredible, and the personnel who helped accomplish this feat deserve their flowers.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today predicts that, on the heels of this incredible comeback, Stephen Vogt, the Guardians manager, should earn an award for how Cleveland made this improbable comeback.
Guardians' Stephen Vogt should win the AL Manager of the Year Award
"Just like his team," Nightengale writes. "Stephen Vogt comes out of nowhere to win this ward (AL Manager of the Year) for the second year in a row, with one of the finest managerial performances in recent history."
Winning back-to-back Manager of the Year awards doesn't happen in any sport, but with how incredible this comeback has been, it's hard to argue against Vogt being deserving of the award.
They lost Emmanuel Clase, an All-Star closer, and Luis Ortiz, a quality starting pitcher, in the middle of the year to MLB's gambling investigation. They traded away a few players at the trade deadline and were dealing with one of the worst offenses in baseball for most of the year.
Despite the struggles of the offense, in the second half, the pitching turned a corner, and along with timely hitting, the Guardians were able to make up a ton of ground to secure a postseason spot this October.
More: How one decision sparked the Guardians' incredible AL Central comeback
They've gone 32-20 since the trade deadline, and can still win the AL Central in the final game of the 2025 season. The likelihood that a team makes the comeback that the Guardians have is incredibly low.
Winning the AL Central would only increase the chances that Vogt is the AL Manager of the Year. It would be the biggest comeback in division history, as no team has won its division after being down 15.5 games.
But Vogt does have some tough competition. Dan Wilson of the Seattle Mariners, who just won their first AL West title in over two decades, and John Schneider of the Toronto Blue Jays, who have been one of the best teams in baseball for most of the year, are strong candidates for the award.
While both are good, the improbable nature of the Guardians' comeback to clinch a postseason spot, and also be in contention for the AL Central crown, should have Vogt in the lead for the AL Manager of the Year Award.
Nightengale believes that Vogt is deserving of the award and predicts that Vogt will finish in first, with Schneider and Wilson following Vogt in voting after the 2025 season.
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