Cade Smith Named Finalist For Major American League Award

Cade Smith has been the one constant at the back of Cleveland’s bullpen all season, and now he is up for one of the top honors a reliever can win. The Guardians closer was named a finalist for the Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year Award on Monday night. He is joined by Tampa Bay’s Bryan Baker and Toronto’s Louis Varland, and the winner will be announced on Nov. 11. For anyone who watched Smith slam the door on opponents night after night this year, the nomination was expected.

“No surprise here. RHP Cade Smith has been named a finalist for the American League Reliever of the Year,” Cleveland Guardians wrote.

No surprise here.

RHP Cade Smith has been named a finalist for the American League Reliever of the Year.#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/fEKsBhHOI1

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) November 3, 2026

Smith’s 2026 numbers make a strong case. He went 6-1 with a 1.95 ERA and 41 saves, striking out 107 batters over 74 innings. Those 41 saves tied Baker for the most in baseball, and Smith became just the seventh pitcher in franchise history to reach 40 saves in a season. The others are Emmanuel Clase, Joe Borowski, Bob Wickman, José Mesa, Doug Jones and Mike Jackson.

The strikeouts are just as impressive. Smith has now topped 100 strikeouts in each of his first three big-league seasons, an incredibly rare accomplishment for a reliever. His splitter was one of the nastiest pitches in the sport this year, and for most of the season his strikeout rate sat in the 99th percentile across the majors. He also earned his first All-Star selection in July.

His rise to this point has been remarkable. Smith grew up in Abbotsford, British Columbia, pitched in college at Hawaii and went undrafted in the shortened 2020 draft before signing with Cleveland. He posted a 1.91 ERA as a rookie in 2024 and took over as the closer midway through 2025 when Clase was placed on leave. This season was his first full year in the role, and he made it look easy.

Smith was just as good in October. He recorded a four-out save in Game 3 of the ALCS against Tampa Bay and received an honorable mention on ESPN’s All October team. On a pitching staff that carried an offense that often struggled, Smith gave Stephen Vogt complete confidence in the ninth inning.

The competition will be tough. Baker matched Smith’s save total and was a big reason the Rays reached the World Series, and Varland had a breakout season in Toronto’s bullpen. Smith’s combination of saves, strikeouts and a sub 2.00 ERA still gives him one of the strongest résumés in the group.

Smith is not the only Guardians pitcher in line for hardware, either. Parker Messick was named a finalist for the AL Cy Young Award, which shows just how much Cleveland’s pitching staff carried the team this season. If Smith takes home the award next week, it would be a fitting reward for one of the best closers in baseball.