The Cleveland Guardians have cornered the market on guys that look like Stephen Vogt.
Vogt, of course, is the Guardians’ manager, but there’s another one.
Their bench coach also looks like Vogt. Depending on the angle and the mannerisms, it can be uncanny.
The odds of an MLB manager and his bench coach being lookalikes don’t seem particularly high, especially if they aren’t related.
There’s no relation here, though, just two guys trying to help Cleveland win baseball games from pretty much the same spot in the dugout while looking pretty much exactly the same.
Who is Cleveland Guardians’ Bench Coach?
The guy next to Vogt in the dugout each game, his bench coach, is named Tony Arnerich.
This is Arnerich’s first year as the Guardians’ bench coach.
Arnerich was a professional catcher, although he never reached the major leagues.
He has since coached in college (Sonoma State, Cal) before coming to the MLB ranks to work for the Seattle Mariners and now the Guardians.
Cleveland hired Arnerich away from Seattle in November 2025.
And believe it or not, they’ve spent the season as roommates.
The Athletic’s Zack Meisel wrote this in a recent feature on the pair:
“Most managers and bench coaches conduct this business from the skipper’s office. These two debrief on the living room couch, with Vogt on the left, Arnerich on the right and about 10 feet between them. Vogt’s family lives 2,500 miles west, in Olympia, Wash., and he doesn’t like to be alone. A week after hiring Arnerich in November, Vogt invited him to live with him during the season. This is where they decompress and strategize, and then they can head to bed with a clear mind.”
How Tony Arnerich Knows Stephen Vogt
The pair worked together with the Mariners. Arnerich was already there as the hitting coach when Vogt was hired as the bullpen coach.
Meisel writes: “It was friendship at first sight, and the two played up their similar appearances — Arnerich signing autographs as Vogt for unsuspecting fans, Vogt gifting Arnerich a pair of socks featuring the characters of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly from the movie ‘Step Brothers.'”
Vogt eventually left to come manage for the Guardians, but his relationship with Arnerich clearly didn’t go anywhere. When Craig Albernaz left his role as Cleveland’s bench coach to manage the Orioles, Vogt knew where to turn.
“Tony has pushed me,” Vogt told Meisel. “We’ve learned a lot together. I’ve had a lot of fun with my twin brother.”
Vogt also credited Arnerich for keeping him calm when he gets fired up.
After all, what’s a lookalike for? In a worst-case scenario, the man stepping in to manage for a potentially ejected Vogt would be a guy who looks almost exactly like him. Would the umpire even know the difference?
Guardians’ Bench Coach Looks Almost Exactly Like Manager Stephen Vogt