Career Timeline of Stephen Vogt: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Stephen Vogt made an impact.

Stephen Vogt is an American professional baseball manager and former catcher, currently managing the Cleveland Guardians. As a player, he spent 10 seasons in MLB, playing for several teams, including the Tampa Bay Rays, Oakland Athletics, and Atlanta Braves. Vogt was a two-time MLB All-Star with the Athletics in 2015 and 2016. He was drafted by Tampa Bay in 2007 and transitioned from player to manager after his playing career.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

April 1, 2005: Conference Leader

As of April 1, 2005, Stephen Vogt was leading the Golden State Athletic Conference with a .422 batting average.

May 2005: Conference Player of the Year

In May 2005, Stephen Vogt was named the Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

April 14, 2006: Conference Ranking

By April 14, 2006, Stephen Vogt had a .404 batting average, that ranked fourth in the Golden State Athletic Conference during his junior year.

July 13, 2007: Struggling Transition to the Pros

As of July 13, 2007, Stephen Vogt was hitting .173 through 17 games, indicating a difficult transition to professional baseball.

2007: Drafted by Tampa Bay Rays

In 2007, Stephen Vogt was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 12th round of the MLB draft.

2008: Played for Columbus Catfish

In 2008, Stephen Vogt played for the Columbus Catfish, hitting .383 in 42 games from June 27 to August 22.

2010: Player of the Month and Award Winner

In 2010, Stephen Vogt was named Player of the Month for the Rays organization after a strong May and won the Rays' Erik Walker Community Champion Award, with a career-high .345 batting average.

July 28, 2011: Promotion to Durham Bulls

On July 28, 2011, Stephen Vogt was called up to the Durham Bulls, a Triple-A team, after recording 85 RBIs for Montgomery.

2011: Minor League Ranking

Heading into the 2011 minor league season, Baseball America ranked Stephen Vogt #30 on its list of the Rays top 30 prospects.

2011: Minor League Player of the Year

In 2011, Stephen Vogt was named the Tampa Bay Rays' Minor League Player of the Year.

April 6, 2012: MLB Debut

On April 6, 2012, Stephen Vogt made his major league debut for the Tampa Bay Rays against the New York Yankees, striking out in his first at-bat against pitcher David Robertson.

2012: MLB Debut with Rays

In 2012, Stephen Vogt debuted with the Tampa Bay Rays at age 27, starting his major league career.

March 31, 2013: Designated for Assignment by Tampa Bay Rays

On March 31, 2013, the Tampa Bay Rays designated Stephen Vogt for assignment while he was driving to Durham, anticipating playing for the Bulls.

2013: AL Division Series

In 2013, Stephen Vogt started all three games of the American League Division Series and hit a game-winning single in Game 2.

June 22, 2014: First Career Appearance at First Base

On June 22, 2014, Stephen Vogt made his first career appearance at first base in the major leagues against the Boston Red Sox.

2014: Highest Batting Average Since 2014

In 2019, Stephen Vogt finished the season in San Francisco, with some of the best offensive numbers of his career, including a .263 batting average, his highest since 2014.

April 6, 2015: Home Run on Opening Day

On April 6, 2015, Stephen Vogt hit a three-run home run against the Texas Rangers during the Athletics' season opener.

2015: AL Offensive Leader

During the first half of the 2015 season, Stephen Vogt led American League catchers in most offensive categories.

2015: MLB All-Star

In 2015, Stephen Vogt was an MLB All-Star with the Oakland Athletics.

2015: First All-Star Appearance

In 2015, Stephen Vogt was selected for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, marking his first appearance. He later gifted his framed jersey from the game to Azusa Pacific University.

2015: Season Achievements and Recognition

In 2015, Vogt had a strong season with career-highs in home runs and RBIs, earning him the Dave Stewart Community Service Award and the Catfish Hunter Award. He also faced mental challenges due to the team's struggles.

2015: Highest Batting Average Since 2015

In 2017, Stephen Vogt played one injury-shortened season with the Milwaukee Brewers, finishing with a .254 batting average, his highest since 2015.

November 2016: Received Threads of Hope Award

In November 2016, Stephen Vogt received a 2016 Threads of Hope Award from Diablo Magazine for his work with the School of Imagination, recognizing his charitable contributions in the East Bay.

2016: Career-High Games and Award Recognition

In 2016, Stephen Vogt matched his career-high single-game RBI and achieved a career-high in games played, also winning the Catfish Hunter Award for the third consecutive year and the Dave Stewart Community Service Award for the second year.

2016: Recovering from Elbow Surgery and Strong Performances

In 2016, Stephen Vogt underwent elbow surgery and gradually returned to form, showcasing strong batting performances and consistent hits throughout the season.

2016: MLB All-Star

In 2016, Stephen Vogt was an MLB All-Star with the Oakland Athletics for the second consecutive year.

2016: Second Consecutive All-Star Selection

In 2016, Stephen Vogt was selected for his second consecutive Major League Baseball All-Star Game appearance, being the sole representative from the Oakland Athletics.

2016: Top-Ranked Batting Average

In 2016, Stephen Vogt's .277 batting average was ranked in the top five among catchers heading into the All-Star break.

January 13, 2017: Contract Signed

On January 13, 2017, Vogt signed a contract for $2,965,000.

June 25, 2017: Claimed by Milwaukee Brewers

On June 25, 2017, Stephen Vogt was claimed off waivers by the Milwaukee Brewers, where he was slated to share playing time with Manny Piña.

2017: Joins the Brewers

In 2017, Stephen Vogt left Oakland and joined the Milwaukee Brewers.

2017: Performance and Injury with the Brewers

In 2017, Vogt played for the Brewers, achieving his highest batting average since 2015 but also suffering a knee injury that sidelined him for a month.

May 15, 2018: Oracle Park Splash Hit

On August 9, 2019, Vogt hit a two-run home run 423 feet out of Oracle Park into McCovey Cove, the 79th "splash hit" by a Giant in the history of the park; he was the first Giant to hit one since Brandon Belt on May 15, 2018.

2018: Shoulder Injury and Coaching Role

In 2018, Stephen Vogt re-signed with the Brewers but suffered a severe shoulder injury during spring training, leading to season-ending surgery. He then took on a player-coach role with the team.

January 31, 2019: Workout for interested teams

On January 31, 2019, Vogt held a workout for interested teams, which was attended by five teams, including the San Francisco Giants.

November 2019: Signs with Diamondbacks

In November 2019, Stephen Vogt signed a one-year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

November 26, 2019: Signed with Arizona Diamondbacks

On November 26, 2019, Stephen Vogt signed a one-year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks, marking a new chapter in his career.

July 16, 2021: Traded to the Atlanta Braves

On July 16, 2021, Stephen Vogt was traded to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Mason Berne, adding a new team to Vogt's MLB journey.

March 24, 2022: Returned to the Oakland Athletics

On March 24, 2022, Stephen Vogt signed a one-year contract to return to the Oakland Athletics, marking a reunion with a team where he was beloved.

September 22, 2022: Announced Retirement

On September 22, 2022, Stephen Vogt announced that he would retire at the end of the 2022 season, signaling the conclusion of his MLB playing career.

January 10, 2023: Hired as Bullpen and Quality Control Coach

On January 10, 2023, Stephen Vogt was hired by the Seattle Mariners to serve as the team's bullpen and quality control coach, transitioning into a coaching role.

November 6, 2023: Named Manager of the Cleveland Guardians

On November 6, 2023, Stephen Vogt was named manager of the Cleveland Guardians, becoming the 45th manager in the club's history and marking a significant step in his post-playing career.

September 21, 2024: Won American League Central Division Title

On September 21, 2024, the Cleveland Guardians won the American League Central Division title, marking their 12th division title in team history and Vogt’s first as a professional manager, a significant achievement in his managerial career.