Ever since he made his MLB debut in 2024, Cleveland Guardians right-hander Cade Smith has been one of the best relievers in baseball. He has a brilliant 2.55 ERA since the start of that season, with 210 strikeouts, and plenty of high-leverage outs.
Since Emmanuel Clase’s suspension, Smith has been the Guardians’ closer and has been excellent in that role, too. He is, simply put, one of the finest bullpen arms in the league.
That’s exactly why it is so surprising to see him struggling these days. Smith has allowed three runs already in the young 2026 campaign, all of them in his last two outings.
He is currently sporting a 9.00 ERA in three frames, and some people are worried about him. Analyst Justin Lada, however, brought some peace of mind to the fan base.
“I don’t think there’s anything to worry about with Cade Smith. I don’t think there’s gonna be any thought as far as taking him out of the closer role. It would have to be an extended period of struggles,” Lada said, per 92.3 The Fan.
"I don't think there's anything to worry about with Cade Smith. I don't think there's gonna be any thought as far as taking him out of the closer role. It would have to be an extended period of struggles."
📞@JL_Baseball on the #Guardians closer after a few rough outings pic.twitter.com/Ib6muEiUjv
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) April 1, 2026
Truth be told, two rough outings in a row are not enough to overshadow 152 innings of brilliance over the last couple of years. Perhaps if his velocity was down, some of the concern would be warranted, but Smith is actually throwing harder than last year: his average four-seamer has been at 97 mph in his three outings so far, and it was 96.4 mph in 2025.
With elite extension, three swing-and-miss pitches, youth, experience, and, above all things, health, a bounceback is not just possible, but likely.
ERA, in short stints, can be deceiving, and Smith hasn’t been as bad as the number indicates. His Fielding Independent Pitching, for example, is 2.20, and his expected ERA (xERA) is 3.11. His pitches are behaving similarly to how they did last season and the year before.
He will be fine as the season goes on, and there’s absolutely nothing to worry about. Smith remains not just good, but one of the best pitchers in MLB.
There are plenty of things to worry about the Guardians right now, but their closer is certainly not one of them.
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