The Cleveland Guardians have had a rough season on the heels of last year’s trip to the ALCS, as the team currently sits at .500 with only 30 games remaining and is facing a make-or-break series with the Seattle Mariners this weekend.
Last year’s club rode a stellar pitching staff to the AL Central crown and to the ALCS, but that unit has taken a step back this season as well, though one pitcher has been highly impressive and stepped up tremendously in times of need.
Somewhat lost in the mix for the Guardians this season has been the stellar performance of second-year reliever Erik Sabrowski, who now has a 1.42 ERA through 19 innings this year with a 35.1-percent strikeout rate.
Erik Sabrowski has been incredible this season:
🔺19.0 IP
🔺1.42 ERA
🔺35.1 K%
🔺1.21 WHIPThe next great Guardians reliever has arrived🙌 #GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/d60y2UXKIJ
— SleeperGuardians (@SleeperGuards) August 28, 2025
Sabrowski pitched 12.2 scoreless innings in his debut campaign last year, so he now has a 0.85 ERA to start his career, which is unfathomable.
Some metrics suggest he has gotten a bit lucky because he has a ghastly 14 walks in 19 innings this year, which is the only thing holding him back from being one of the most dominant relievers in baseball already.
Cleveland needed somebody to step up in the bullpen after closer Emmanuel Clase was ousted for the season due to a potential gambling violation, and with Cade Smith stepping into the closer role, Sabrowski’s emergence as another reliable late-inning option has helped keep this team afloat.
If the Guardians are going to complete an improbable comeback down the stretch and snag an AL Wild Card spot, they will need Sabrowski to continue pitching like this.
NEXT: Bruce Drennan Says Guardians Pitcher Looks Like A Future Ace
