The average MLB fan doesn’t realize just how great Cleveland Guardians reliever Cade Smith is.
Of course, Guardians fans are very much aware that Smith is, without a doubt, one of the most consistent relievers in baseball.
In fact, in terms of pure contributions to his team, there hasn’t been a reliever like him in the past two seasons.
When examining baseball’s most complete metric, Wins Above Replacement (WAR), there is enough evidence to say Smith is a top reliever in MLB, perhaps even the best.
“Leads all MLB relievers in fWAR at (5.4) by a pretty good margin over the last two seasons as well,” Guardians Prospective wrote on X, quoting another post that says Smith is the only bullpen piece in the league with a FIP below 2.00 over the last two campaigns.
Leads all MLB relievers in fWAR at (5.4) by a pretty good margin over the last two seasons as well… https://t.co/ttLFrcrVkk
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) March 2, 2026
Smith not only does a fantastic job preventing runs, which is the entire point if you are a bullpen piece, but he also does it in style, with plenty of strikeouts.
He struck out 103 batters in 2024 and 104 last year, jaw-dropping for a reliever.
Relief pitchers are perhaps the most volatile in the league when it comes to year-to-year performance: even the best of the best tend to flame out after a strong season.
Well, Smith is here to stay, as his 5.4 fWAR in 2024 and 2025 combined proves.
The second-best reliever on the list, Mason Miller, is at 4.4.
The gap is unbelievable, and it shows just how dominant Smith is.
After the Emmanuel Clase fiasco, Smith took over as the Guardians’ closer and hasn’t looked back.
He has embraced the role.
Maybe one day, now that he owns the ninth inning in Cleveland, fans around the league will come to appreciate just how otherworldly Smith is.
Statistically speaking, there has been no one like him since the start of the 2024 campaign.
He doesn’t throw 104 mph like Miller, and he hasn’t saved almost 400 games like Aroldis Chapman, but he sure is as effective as them, if not more.
Ask any hitter who has faced him, and you’ll know.
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