Stephen Vogt’s run near the top of the American League Manager of the Year voting kept going, even if his streak of winning the award did not.
The Cleveland Guardians skipper finished fourth in the 2026 race after the results were announced Tuesday. Vogt picked up one second-place vote and six third-place votes, which gave him nine points overall. Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable won the award with 111 points, while Tampa Bay Rays skipper Kevin Cash finished second and Boston Red Sox manager Chad Tracy came in third.
Vogt had been in the mix again after winning the award in each of his first two seasons leading Cleveland. He took home American League Manager of the Year honors in 2024 and 2025, but when MLB revealed the finalists last week, his name was not among them, signaling that his streak would end.
This year’s winner had a clear case. Venable was rewarded for helping guide the White Sox out of back-to-back 100-loss seasons, a turnaround that made it hard for anyone else to catch him.
Vogt’s previous two wins came in very different circumstances. In 2024, he was recognized for steering a club with almost no expectations through an injury-riddled season and all the way to a division title and one of the American League’s best records. In 2025, he earned credit for keeping the Guardians steady through a gambling scandal that rattled the clubhouse, then helping spark a historic September comeback that got the team into the playoffs.
The 2026 season didn’t carry the same level of adversity, but Vogt’s steadiness and leadership still stood out for a young Cleveland roster. The Guardians already knew they had a home run hire. Finishing fourth in the voting in just his third season only adds another strong piece of evidence.
In Other News...
Guardians Face A Tough Call On A Top Prospect Soon
Jaison Chourio has climbed steadily through the Guardians minor league system and is now at Triple-A, putting him on the doorstep of a decision Cleveland has been preparing for. The organization is expected to add him to the 40-man roster soon, a move aimed at keeping him out of the Rule 5 Draft and preserving one of the more intriguing young players in the system.
For the Guardians, it is the kind of roster call that comes with both urgency and patience. Chourio is viewed as a top prospect, but he still appears to be about a year away from making a regular impact in the majors, which means Cleveland has to balance protecting his future with the realities of a crowded roster right now. [Read more 🡒]
Former Guardians Prospect Gets Another Shot With A Contender
Christian Cairo is getting another fresh start, this time with a contender that has a long track record of turning depth pieces into useful big league options. The former Guardians prospect was claimed off waivers by the Dodgers from the Mets, adding another stop to a pro career that has already taken him through four organizations over seven seasons without a major league appearance.
For Cleveland fans, Cairo remains one of those familiar names who never quite got the call despite sticking around the game and keeping himself in the mix. The Dodgers made a second roster move the same day by re-signing infielder Tyler Fitzgerald to a minor league deal, a reminder of how quickly the margins can shift for players trying to stay positioned for a breakthrough. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians May Have Another Future Core Infielder On The Rise
Welbyn Franciscas rapid climb has given the Guardians another name to watch in the middle infield pipeline. The 20-year-old switch-hitting infielder from the Dominican Republic signed with Cleveland in 2023 and reached Double-A Akron this season, then backed up that progress with a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League. That combination was enough to land him at No. 98 on Bleacher Reports Top 100 prospect list, a notable step for a player still early in his professional career.
For a Cleveland system that has long valued homegrown infield talent, Franciscas rise adds to the sense that the organization may have another future core piece developing in plain sight. He is one of four Guardians prospects included on the list, which weighs both current ability and long-term upside, and his placement suggests evaluators are taking notice of how quickly his tools are translating. The next test will be whether he can keep that momentum going as he moves closer to the upper levels. [Read more 🡒]