Cade Smith is finding his first season as a full-time MLB closer to be much more difficult than taking over the role in the middle of a pennant race. The Cleveland Guardians reliever has struggled to begin the 2026 campaign, and it likely has to do with a variety of factors.
The rest of the league is now more familiar with Smith as a closer, after the former setup man replaced Emmanuel Clase for the final two months of last season when the All-Star was banished due to an MLB gambling investigation. In addition, Smith experienced some discomfort in his neck in the very early stages of spring training, and while he may be fully healthy, any delay in preparation for a pitcher could manifest itself once the games begin.
After 10 appearances, an alarming stat has emerged about Smith, whose best pitch has been far from it so far this season.
“The fastball is Smith’s best pitch. The opposition, according to Statcast, is hitting .333 against it this year after hitting .170 against it last year,” Paul Hoynes wrote.
After hanging on for the save in Cleveland’s series-opening 4-2 win against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, Smith was not used during the bullpen’s meltdown in a 6-4 loss on Friday. With four straight scoreless appearances, he has lowered his ERA from a season-high of 9.00 to its current 4.50.
His recent success has coincided with the return of setup man Hunter Gaddis from the injured list, so perhaps better times are ahead. But with opposing hitters likely taking a different approach knowing how Smith will contend with the ninth inning of a close game, perhaps it would help him to make some adjustments as well.
For example, according to Hoynes, batters are hitting just .111 against Smith’s splitter and do not have a hit against his sweeper. Smith has two blown saves this year and has given up at least one run in five of his 10 outings.
After handling the closer duties under much more pressure last season, there is reason to believe that Smith will turn it around at some point, likely by getting better results with his fastball.
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