Guardians Embrace Distributed Leadership, Reject 'Captain' Tradition

Manager Stephen Vogt says José Ramírez is the team's heart, but a 'C' on the jersey doesn't fit baseball

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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While the Yankees have built a captain tradition around Aaron Judge and Derek Jeter, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt has a different take. Vogt said the Guardians don't need an official captain, as leadership in their clubhouse is distributed among players like José Ramírez, Austin Hedges, Steven Kwan, and David Fry - none of whom need a patch sewn onto their jersey to do what they do.

Why it matters

The Guardians' approach to leadership highlights how the concept of a captain doesn't necessarily fit baseball the way it does in other sports. In Cleveland, the franchise builds its culture around accountability, shared investment, and players who earn the respect of their teammates, rather than titles bestowed by the front office.

The details

When asked if he would name an official captain, Vogt essentially answered by reframing the question - he said Ramírez is the team's heart and they go as he goes, but the same could be said of Hedges, Kwan, or Fry. Vogt sees leadership as a distributed culture, not a singular title. The Guardians' approach contrasts with the Yankees' tradition of having a captain, which Noga described as "performative" and "cheesy." Noga pointed to an incident where Yankees captain Aaron Judge couldn't calm down fans throwing debris at Guardians outfielder Myles Straw, showing that the 'C' on his chest didn't do much to prevent that.

  • The Guardians have not had an official team captain in recent history, with the last known captains being Joe Carter and Mel Hall during the Doc Edwards era.
  • The Guardians will open Cactus League play on Saturday, with Logan Allen pitching at home in Goodyear and Joey Cantillo pitching on the road against the Brewers.

The players

José Ramírez

The Guardians' best player and the heart of the team, according to manager Stephen Vogt.

Austin Hedges

A veteran player who provides steadiness for the Guardians.

Steven Kwan

A player who represents the Guardians at the league level.

David Fry

A player who brings energy to the Guardians' clubhouse.

Aaron Judge

The captain of the New York Yankees, a role that Vogt sees as not fitting baseball.

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What they’re saying

“I got the impression that the idea of a captain in baseball is kind of performative, kind of cheesy, kind of 'let them have their little tradition' talking about that team over in the AL East.”

— Joe Noga, Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast host (cleveland.com)

“The C on his chest didn't do much to prevent that.”

— Joe Noga, Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast host (cleveland.com)

“Obviously, José is our captain. He's our best player. We go as José goes. But he said, could say the same thing about (Austin) Hedges. You could say the same thing about (Steven) Kwan. You could say the same thing about (David) Fry.”

— Stephen Vogt, Guardians manager (cleveland.com)

The takeaway

The Guardians' approach to leadership highlights how the concept of a captain doesn't necessarily fit baseball the way it does in other sports. In Cleveland, the franchise builds its culture around accountability, shared investment, and players who earn the respect of their teammates, rather than titles bestowed by the front office - proving that mission-driven, community-focused baseball can thrive without the need for a designated 'captain.'