In April, many people were clamoring for Emmanuel Clase to be replaced as the Cleveland Guardians’ closer.
Things got so bad that he did step away for a couple of games that Cade Smith saved, even though manager Stephen Vogt wouldn’t say Clase wasn’t the closer anymore and it was revealed that the franchise leader in saves was dealing with a shoulder issue.
At one point, after allowing three runs against the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 20, his ERA was at 7.84.
But fate has a way to repay those who work hard and trust their talent with results.
Vogt kept sending Clase out there, and the reliever kept working hard on his command and composure.
He has been able not only to right the ship but to become one of the most trusted pitchers in the American League at the moment.
Clase has only allowed one earned run in his last 12 appearances.
He closed out May with some incredible numbers:
Clase the month of May:
.84 ERA
7 saves
1 ER #GuardsBall— Gabriella Kreuz (@thesportsGab) June 1, 2025
A 0.84 ERA last month and a scoreless frame with two strikeouts on Sunday to kick off the new one have actually made his ERA decent, sneaky solid if you will.
If you take a peek at Clase’s stat line this year, you will see he has a 3.96 ERA, a 1.32 WHIP, a 4-0 record and 13 saves in 25 innings.
Those aren’t elite numbers by any means, but it’s almost like they mask what happened earlier this year.
More importantly, they show that talent always prevails, and seem to indicate that Clase’s ERA and WHIP will keep decreasing as the year goes on.
As it turns out, he didn’t suddenly forget how to pitch.
All he needed was time.
NEXT: Guardians Lefty Tosses Gem In Triple-A As He Prepares For Starting Role
