MINNEAPOLIS - Stephen Vogt has spent plenty of nights piecing together a lineup, but with so many left-handed hitters in Cleveland’s mix, the job has turned into something closer to a daily chess match.
The Guardians manager said the challenge is twofold: build in favorable matchups and keep opposing pitchers from getting comfortable. When Cleveland faces a left-handed starter, Vogt often tries to alternate right-handed and left-handed bats through the order. Later in games, he has to decide whether to use a right-handed bench bat against a left-handed reliever.
“A left-handed reliever is in the big leagues to get left-handed hitters out,” Vogt said. “Starter versus reliever is very different.”
He said the modern pitching landscape has changed how offenses have to think. The old idea of grinding a starter down pitch by pitch matters less when starters are coming right at hitters with everything they have from the first pitch.
“That might be the only pitch you get to hit,” Vogt said. The approach has paid off against southpaws this season. Cleveland entered Wednesday 20-12 against left-handed starters, the second-best mark in the American League, and its 10.9% walk rate against left-handed starters ranks second in baseball.
Vogt also made it clear that one quiet night won’t shake his belief in Travis Bazzana.
The rookie second baseman went hitless Tuesday and was part of a rough defensive inning in Cleveland’s 3-1 loss to the Twins, but Vogt pointed to the way Bazzana responds after mistakes as one of his biggest strengths.
“His consistency,” Vogt said. “I think we’ve seen Travis, he’s going to go through some rough spots just like every hitter where he maybe go a couple games without a hit.
But his at-bat quality has not wavered. He’s consistent at-bats.
He’s gotten much, much better in the field since he’s been here and he’s a great base runner. He’s a really good ballplayer.”
That trust is part of why Vogt has settled on Bazzana as his main leadoff option against right-handed pitching.
“Just the on-base and getting him up as many times as possible,” Vogt said. “That’s where he fits in our lineup right now versus righties. He’s doing a nice job.”
Even with a recent 7-for-50 stretch, Bazzana still sits among the American League rookie leaders with 55 hits, 27 RBI, 29 walks and 12 stolen bases since his April 28 debut. He also leads AL rookie second basemen in several offensive categories.
Another young Guardian, Chase DeLauter, has made a strong first impression at Target Field.
DeLauter had two hits Tuesday in his first game there, and Vogt said the park suits a hitter like him.
“This is a great hitter’s ballpark,” Vogt said. “The visual is phenomenal for a hitter.
Outfield looks super close, big hitter’s eye. So, it’s pretty cool to see Chase have a night like last night.”
DeLauter has been on a tear since returning from a cracked rib. Entering Wednesday, he led the American League with a .359 batting average (14-for-39) since coming off the injured list on June 28.
He has hit safely in 14 of his last 15 games overall, batting .361 in that stretch with five doubles, a home run and nine RBI. His 13.5% strikeout rate also ranks among the lowest of any qualified rookie in the majors.
Vogt said he hopes that kind of start at Target Field becomes a regular thing as DeLauter settles into what could be many seasons in the AL Central.
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The idea is easy enough to understand from Clevelands side, since Lindor still carries the kind of impact and familiarity that would make any front office pause. But the contract alone makes the whole exercise feel more theoretical than practical, and the debate has already split opinions, with some seeing a fit and others wanting no part of it. [Read more 🡒]