The Cleveland Guardians had a pretty good idea of what to expect from reliever Cade Smith this year. However, there may have been just a small shred of doubt because it was going to be his first full season as their full-time closer.
Then, when the campaign got off to a bit of a bumpy start, those worries could have grown. Fortunately, Smith quickly regained his form, and he has been one of the best in the game ever since.
On Friday, in a 4-3 win against the Boston Red Sox, Smith became the first closer in the majors to reach 20 saves this season. He also has a 2-0 record with just two blown saves in his 27 appearances.
After his latest outing, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt opened up about Smith’s rise as a closer, saying it’s been “pretty fun to watch him.”
“We’ve been pretty blessed here for a while. Cade has really taken to this new role. It’s been pretty fun to watch him the last month or so. It’s great, love that Cade’s got 20 saves. I hope he ends up with as many as possible, but you know we need to be better. We need to extend leads,” Vogt said.
"It's been pretty fun to watch him the last last month or so."#Guardians Stephen Vogt on Cade Smith's continued dominance as a closer, as he is now the 1st player in baseball with 20 saves this year:
"It's great, love that Cade's got 20 saves. I hope he ends up with as many as… pic.twitter.com/vuUV5zt1D7
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) May 30, 2026
Smith took over as Cleveland’s closer last July after two-time Reliever of the Year Emmanuel Clase was banned in relation to an MLB gambling investigation that will likely end his career. Moving from his setup role, Smith was excellent, posting 13 saves in 16 opportunities with a 6-1 record in 28 appearances over the final two months of the season. He was a main reason the Guardians were able to overcome a historic deficit and surpass the Detroit Tigers to win the AL Central.
After dealing with some neck stiffness very early in spring training, Smith got off to a rough start this season, carrying a 7.50 ERA after his first six appearances. Since then, he has allowed just three earned runs to lower his ERA to 2.60.
This month, he has allowed two earned runs in 13.2 innings, with 25 strikeouts and just one walk. The right-hander has earned a save in 13 straight appearances, including three in three days from May 6-8.
Smith looks to be well on his way to his first AL All-Star Game selection and may be the favorite to win AL Reliever of the Year for the first time as well.
NEXT: Guardians Land Intriguing Infielder In Latest Mock Draft
