Cade Smith is not only the best reliever on the Cleveland Guardians, but also one of the very best in the league. He has been performing at an elite level since making his MLB debut in 2024.
Things weren’t always this smooth for him, though, and no, we aren’t talking about his early-season slump. There was a time when no MLB team wanted Smith.
Initially drafted in the 16th round by the Minnesota Twins in 2017, he didn’t sign and decided to play college baseball at the University of Hawaii at Manoa instead. Then, he wasn’t taken in the 2020 Draft and signed with the Guardians.
His days in Hawaii, away from his family and his hometown, really helped shape his character and some of the traits that make him great today. His father explained that resilience and perseverance helped him get through some difficult times.
“For Cade, I think a bunch of [his growth] really started with being in Hawai’i and being exposed to that kind of welcoming nature, and seeing the regular people that are out there supporting the team through the ups and downs of baseball season. To be at [University of Hawai’i] and be so far away from home was definitely a time of maturing. It could’ve been easy to say during 2020, when he didn’t get drafted, to be down on himself, and he persevered, and he chose a good organization. He’s worked super hard. To see him work so hard is actually pretty awesome. We are super proud of him. It is an awesome ride, for sure,” Tim Smith said.
As former Hawai'i standout, Guardians pitcher Cade Smith leads MLB in saves, the closer's father reflects on impact the islands had on development both on and off the field https://t.co/eV9zOtC5EQ #HawaiiBSB #GoBows #MLBHawaii 🤙🏽 @TimJSmith23 @HawaiiBaseball @empaulsonmedia… pic.twitter.com/Mea8aCKZAj
— Rob DeMello (@RobDeMelloKHON) June 17, 2026
Mr. Smith touched on several important subjects, but two of them stand out: his son’s resilience and his willingness to work hard. That’s what allowed him to rise through the minor leagues, earn a place in the Guardians’ lineup two years ago, and become one of the best in the league at what he does.
Additionally, Tim Smith also mentions how important it was for Smith to land with a solid organization like the Guardians. Not every franchise is willing to bet that much time and that many resources on an undrafted guy, but they spot talent like no other organization in the league and knew Smith was something special.
Here he is, leading the league in saves with 23 and sporting a 2.48 ERA this year and a 2.43 mark as a major leaguer.
The Guardians need Smith to be close to automatic this year, especially these days in which they are navigating through three key injuries on offense.
NEXT: Daniel Schneemann's Grand Slam Not Enough As Guardians Lose Again
