Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Cade Smith earned his first trip to the All-Star Game. Smith has been deserving for years, but taking over as the full-time closer helped push his ticket to Philadelphia.
He made his presence known in Philly when he tossed a perfect inning and struck out two batters. One of those hitters he fanned was Phillies’ superstar slugger, Bryce Harper.
Afterward, Harper and Bruce Drennan expressed their excitement about Smith.
“Bryce Harper was quoted as saying about Smith’s splitter. He said, ‘That’s disgusting.’ That was his quote. 99.4 mph fastball that he struck out Carroll on,” Drennan said.
Cade Smith has arrived. #GuardsBall@Bruce_Drennan can't believe the Guards already found a better closer than Clase. pic.twitter.com/8YFABuf7qP
— BIGPLAY Cleveland (@BIGPLAYcle) July 16, 2026
The Guardians have been blessed with having back-to-back superstar closers. Emmanuel Clase was one of the best closers in baseball during his five years with the Guardians. Due to off-the-field problems, Clase is no longer a part of the Guardians roster. Smith has immediately stepped in and run away with the closer role.
It’s not always easy for someone who is exclusively a set-up pitcher to move into the closer role. Smith had some early struggles, but has settled down nicely as the closer in Cleveland. He took over the closer role halfway through last season and is now one of the better stoppers in the league.
This season, Smith owns a 2.84 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and a 63/11 K/BB ratio in 42 appearances. Smith is leading the league in games finished (36) and saves (28) heading into the second half of the season. It’s safe to say that the Guardians won’t need to worry about adding a closer at the trade deadline.
The Guardians also have Smith under team control until 2030, which is great news for the team. They don’t have to worry about locking him up long-term for a handful of years. The Guardians are lucky to have a player such as Smith, where they don’t have to worry when they hand the ball to him in the ninth inning.
It’s great to see him finally getting some recognition from around the league.
NEXT: Analyst Predicts A Notable Finish For Guardians In AL Central
