Cade Smith’s 2026 season keeps collecting accolades. The Cleveland Guardians closer is already a finalist for the American League Reliever of the Year Award, and on Sunday he picked up an honor from the people who watched him up close every day. The Cleveland chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America named Smith the winner of the Bob Feller Man of the Year Award. The writers pointed to plenty of reasons, but one stood above the rest. Cleveland.com’s Paul Hoynes wrote that Smith was chosen in part for “his ability to be available on almost a daily basis.”
That availability was a constant all season. Smith led Cleveland’s bullpen in appearances, innings, strikeouts and saves, pitching in 69 games and throwing 74 innings. He went 6-1 with a 1.95 ERA and 0.96 WHIP, struck out 107 batters and tied for the American League lead with 41 saves. He also earned his first All-Star selection.
He was at his best when Cleveland needed him most. In September, as the Guardians chased down the White Sox for the division, Smith pitched in 11 of the team’s 25 games and did not allow a single run all month. He went 6 for 6 in save chances, struck out 21 batters against three walks in 13 innings and held opponents to a .073 batting average.
October was more of the same. Smith appeared in nine of Cleveland’s 11 postseason games, striking out 14 in 11 1/3 innings with two saves while opponents hit just .105 against him. His workload got so heavy that general manager Mike Chernoff joked after the season that Smith might finally take a week off. Stephen Vogt praised his closer late in the year for everything he does to stay ready.
Smith’s strikeout streak also put him in rare company. This was his third straight season with at least 100 strikeouts, and Hoynes noted that Boston’s Dick Radatz is the only other pitcher in history to do that while working exclusively in relief.
He is just the fifth Cleveland closer to win the Man of the Year award, joining Emmanuel Clase, José Mesa, Doug Jones and Don McMahon. Smith beat out a strong group of nominees, including Parker Messick, Chase DeLauter, Steven Kwan and Gavin Williams. Messick was honored separately as the winner of the Frank Gibbons/Steve Olin Good Guy Award.
Smith’s path to this point makes the award even more meaningful. The British Columbia native went undrafted out of the University of Hawaii in 2020, when the draft was cut to just five rounds because of COVID, and Cleveland signed him as a free agent on June 18 of that year. He was the last player to make the Opening Day roster in 2024, then posted a 1.91 ERA as a rookie and received votes for both Rookie of the Year and Cy Young. Over three seasons, he owns a 2.26 ERA with 314 strikeouts in 223 innings.
The next potential honor comes this week, when the Reliever of the Year winner is announced. Whatever happens, the Cleveland writers have made it clear how much Smith meant to this team. Night after night, the Guardians knew they could count on him.
NEXT: Top Guardians Prospect Is About To Make His Winter League Debut
