Cade Smith’s first full season as an MLB closer is going better than the Cleveland Guardians could have hoped. After a modestly rough beginning, Smith has been dominant, posting numbers that rival any reliever in the game.
The 27-year-old right-hander leads the majors in saves, and he has 49 strikeouts with just six walks and one home run allowed in 32.2 innings. Most importantly, the Guardians have won 29 of the 31 games in which he has appeared.
Based on those accomplishments to date, MLB.com is predicting that the Guardians reliever will make the All-MLB Team as a second-team selection.
“Second team: Cade Smith (CLE), Louis Varland (TOR),” Max Ralph and Manny Randhawa wrote. “Smith, much like his Guardians club, is quietly impressing. The right-hander leads the majors with 23 saves and also owns a 2.48 ERA over 31 appearances for Cleveland.”
Smith and Varland are behind first-team selections Jhohan Duran of the Philadelphia Phillies and Mason Miller of the San Diego Padres. Miller may be a lock to remain there, as he ranks second behind Smith with 19 saves, but he has a 0.90 ERA and a 0.80 WHIP, with just 12 hits allowed and 59 strikeouts in his 30.0 innings.
Smith could challenge Duran for that second first-team spot if he keeps up his elite performance. The Phillies reliever currently has a better ERA (1.90), but their WHIP and K/9 numbers are nearly identical. Duran has pitched fewer innings (23.2) and has just 18 saves with a 1-3 record, while Smith is 2-0.
As of April 14, Smith had two blown saves and a 5.00 ERA. But since then, he has not blown a save and his ERA has consistently fallen to where it is now. He has given up just five runs in his past 22 outings, and he has 20 saves in that span.
Smith took over as Cleveland’s closer last July when two-time Reliever of the Year Emmanuel Clase was banned due to his involvement in a sports betting scandal. He posted 13 saves in the final two months, giving him 36 in the Guardians’ past 126 games, which is a 46-save pace for a full season.
He is likely to earn his first All-Star Game selection next month, and he could eventually add this MLB postseason honor as well.
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