Lead
On November 11, 2025, Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt was named the American League Manager of the Year for a second consecutive season, becoming the second AL skipper to repeat the honor. The award was announced by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) after ballots were tabulated prior to postseason play. Vogt collected 113 points on BBWAA ballots, outpacing Toronto’s John Schneider, who finished with 91 points. The repeat follows a run of strong regular-season performance and marks the sixth season in which a Cleveland manager has received the BBWAA Manager of the Year award.
Key Takeaways
- Stephen Vogt won the 2025 AL Manager of the Year on ballots announced November 11, 2025, totaling 113 points.
- Vogt is the second AL manager to win in consecutive seasons, joining Kevin Cash (2020–21).
- John Schneider of the Blue Jays finished second with 91 points, the best Toronto finish since Cito Gaston was runner-up in 1989.
- Dan Wilson of the Mariners placed third with 50 points on the BBWAA tally.
- The BBWAA tabulation uses a 5-3-1 points system for first-, second- and third-place votes; ballots were cast before the postseason began.
- This season marks the first time both leagues produced back-to-back winners in the same year (AL and NL).
- Cleveland managers have now accounted for six Manager of the Year seasons: Vogt (two), Terry Francona (2013, 2016, 2022) and Eric Wedge (2007).
Background
Manager of the Year awards are voted on annually by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Each American League city is represented by two writers who submit ballots naming their first-, second- and third-place choices; the BBWAA then weights those votes 5 points, 3 points and 1 point, respectively. The 2025 ballots were collected and tallied ahead of the postseason, a standard procedure intended to reflect regular-season performance only.
Stephen Vogt took over as the Guardians’ manager in 2024 and won the BBWAA honor in his first season as an MLB manager. His consecutive repeat in 2025 places him alongside Kevin Cash as the only AL managers to repeat; in the National League, Bobby Cox (2004–05) and Pat Murphy (2024–25) have achieved consecutive wins. The BBWAA prize has long been a benchmark for managerial recognition, rewarding season-long results, clubhouse management and roster usage.
Main Event
The BBWAA announced the 2025 AL Manager of the Year winners on November 11, listing Vogt atop the ballot compilation with 113 points. Ballots showed Vogt receiving 17 first-place votes, 8 seconds and 4 thirds. John Schneider of the Toronto Blue Jays finished second on the overall points chart, with 10 first-place votes, 11 seconds and 8 thirds for 91 points. Dan Wilson of the Seattle Mariners was third with 2 first-place votes, 9 seconds and 13 thirds, totaling 50 points.
Across the ballots, votes were spread among several managers; no single manager appeared on every ballot. Minor totals were recorded for other managers — Alex Cora, A.J. Hinch and Joe Espada among them — reflecting a divided writer consensus beyond the top three. The voting aggregates and individual ballots were published by the BBWAA, with a city-based panel of 30 writers contributing selections.
The results also carried civic meaning for Cleveland: Vogt’s repeat adds two seasons to the franchise’s Manager of the Year tally, joining previous winners Terry Francona (three separate seasons) and Eric Wedge. The Guardians organization issued a courtesy release acknowledging Vogt’s achievement and noting the historical place it gives the franchise among long-tenured managerial award winners.
Analysis & Implications
Vogt’s back-to-back wins underscore both his personal managerial reputation and the Guardians’ sustained regular-season success across 2024–25. Consecutive recognition by the BBWAA typically signals consistent clubhouse leadership, effective deployment of pitching and roster construction that overperform expectations. For Cleveland, the award reinforces the franchise’s track record of managerial recognition, now spanning six honored seasons.
For the broader AL, Vogt joining Kevin Cash as the only repeat winners in league history (to date) highlights how rare managerial repetition has been in the modern era. The BBWAA award rewards visible in-season decisions and win totals rather than postseason outcomes; because ballots were submitted before playoffs began, the honor ties directly to regular-season metrics and narrative.
Economically and organizationally, a repeat win can strengthen a manager’s leverage in contract talks and front-office planning, and it can raise a club’s profile in free-agent and internal retention conversations. While awards do not guarantee future on-field success, they shape perception among players, agents and rival clubs about the manager’s capabilities and the front office’s strategic direction.
Comparison & Data
| Manager | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen Vogt (Guardians) | 17 | 8 | 4 | 113 |
| John Schneider (Blue Jays) | 10 | 11 | 8 | 91 |
| Dan Wilson (Mariners) | 2 | 9 | 13 | 50 |
The table above shows the top three point totals and their ballot breakdowns, illustrating how first-place votes carry disproportionate weight under the 5-3-1 system. Vogt’s margin over Schneider (22 points) was driven largely by a larger share of first-place ballots.
Reactions & Quotes
“Stephen Vogt, manager of the Cleveland Guardians, has been named the 2025 American League Manager of the Year.”
BBWAA (official announcement)
“Ballots were tabulated using the BBWAA 5-3-1 points system; votes were collected prior to postseason play.”
BBWAA (voting procedure)
Unconfirmed
- Individual voter rationales (specific reasons writers chose each candidate) were not published in detail; motivations on ballots are therefore not fully verifiable.
- Any internal front-office evaluations or contract discussions prompted by the award have not been publicly disclosed and remain speculative at this time.
Bottom Line
Stephen Vogt’s consecutive BBWAA Manager of the Year wins (2024–25) cement his early legacy as a major-league manager and mark a noteworthy chapter in Cleveland Guardians history. The voting totals — 113 points to Schneider’s 91 — reflect broad recognition from the writers who cover the American League’s teams.
Beyond the trophy, the award will shape perceptions around Vogt and the Guardians when the club navigates roster decisions and offseason strategy. For observers, the repeat win is a reminder that managerial impact, as judged over a 162-game schedule, remains a central storyline even as postseason outcomes ultimately define championships.