"We want to win the marathon" – Guardians' manager explains why he is prioritizing long-term strategy over short-term win
Image Source: Getty
The Cleveland Guardians are struggling to score runs, but manager Stephen Vogt sticks to his plan. In a Cleveland.com interview, he shared why he rests key players like Steven Kwan and Carlos Santana.
His focus is on keeping the team strong for the whole MLB season. Here is a close look at Vogt's rest strategy and the team's offensive issues.
Stephen Vogt's rest strategy explained
Stephen Vogt believes giving his top players a break is important, even when the team is losing. He plans lineups five or six games ahead, thinking about matchups and player health, but doesn't let recent losses change his decisions.
In the Cleveland.com interview, he said,
'It's hard to give your everyday players a day off, but you have to stay diligent to it because it's a marathon.
I try not to let our won-loss record affect that because you have to stick to those plans. If you start chasing every single day, then the plan's not going to work because you're never going to end up giving anybody a day off … We want to win the marathon. We're here to get into the playoffs and win the World Series.'
This is why he rested Kwan and Santana in games against the Yankees and Astros. Even after a 0-4 loss to the Yankees and two close losses to the Astros, Vogt keeps his eyes on the playoffs.
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He plans to keep players fresh for a big postseason push, even if it's tough now.
Also Read:
Colton Gordon's electric debut fuels Astros' victory over Guardians
Offensive woes raise concerns
The Guardians' offense is in a slump, scoring just 2.5 runs per game in June, down from 4.3 in May. That makes them one of the worst teams in the American League this month which is a big problem. In their last game against the Astros they were 1-10 with runners in scoring position and left 12 on base.
Vogt's decisions like resting Jose Ramirez and starting Will Wilson at 3B haven't paid off yet. They've lost 3 in a row including 4-2 and 5-3 to the Astros. As the season goes on finding the balance between resting players and scoring runs is key for the Guardians' playoff hopes. They need their bats to come alive soon to turn it around and stay in the hunt.
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