Cleveland's Stephen Vogt wins AL Manager of the Year in first season as skipper at any level

Cleveland's Stephen Vogt won American League Manager of the Year on Tuesday after leading the Guardians to 92 wins and a division title in his first year as a skipper at any level.

The 40-year-old beat Kansas City’s Matt Quatraro and Detroit’s A.J. Hinch, both AL Central rivals.

Vogt received 27 of the 30 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Quatraro got two and Hinch one.

Vogt led the Guardians to a 92-69 record and the playoffs in his first season after replacing Terry Francona. The former big league catcher took Cleveland to the AL Championship Series before losing to the Yankees in five games.

The 51-year-old Quatraro, in his second season with the franchise, led the Royals to the postseason one year after a 106-loss season Kansas City finished with an 86-76 record before beating Baltimore in a Wild Card Series.

Kansas City, led by catcher Salvador Perez young star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. - lost to the Yankees in a four-game Division Series.

Hinch, a 50-year-old in his fourth season leading the Tigers, also made the playoffs with a torrid second-half despite losing quality players like right-hander Jack Flaherty at the trade deadline.

The NL Manager of the Year award was to be announced later Tuesday.