This message from the Guardians’ Stephen Vogt led to the best record in the AL

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

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

As a result, few expected Cleveland to contend for a playoff spot, much less for the highest mark in all of baseball.

But thanks in large part to the superb management of first-year skipper Stephen Vogt, the Guardians appear to have a legitimate chance of winning 100 games.

So what is Vogt’s secret? That can start with the quality of his relationships with his players, and the message he preached has surely allowed his guys to play the game with a carefree attitude that has led to tremendous success during the first half of 2024 .

“It’s funny. That’s one thing I tell these guys all the time: Never lose sight of the fact that we’re still playing a game. And for four hours a day, you can be a 12-year-old,” Vogt said, via Gabe Lacques of USA TODAY Sports. “There’s the business side, there’s the family side and all these other things. It’s real and it’s important, too. But for three or four hours a night, you can be a 12-year-old, get dressed up and play the game that you love.”

That certainly rings true, and while Vogt’s message certainly isn’t the only reason Steven Kwan is hitting a blistering .373, he certainly deserves credit for creating the environment for players like Kwan and Jose Ramirez , both of whom are All-Star finalists. vote – to prosper.

Guardians starting pitcher Triston McKenzie added that Vogt is “definitely a players’ manager” and “does a good job of connecting with guys, building relationships.”

Cleveland certainly isn’t the most talented team in an American League that features heavyweights like the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles, so there must be another reason why the club has experienced so many success, right?

Perhaps Vogt and his light, but entirely valid and precise commission towards his players, were the catalyst.

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