The Cleveland Guardians entered the season thinking and hoping that they had the best closer in all of baseball.
That had been the case with Emmanuel Clase for the past couple of years, so there was no reason to believe that wasn’t going to be the case again in 2025.
Unfortunately, the baseball gods had different plans.
The star closer struggled mightily right out of the gate, and he was eventually pulled from his usual role to work on a shoulder injury.
Enter Cade Smith.
Stephen Vogt trusted Smith to handle those duties while Clase worked his way back to his usual self, and it worked like a charm.
Notably, that’s why Zack Meisel of The Athletic tipped his hat to the star reliever, praising him for how in control and unfazed he is regardless of the stakes or the situation:
“Does [Cade Smith] ever look rattled or daunted by any situation? He’s almost always facing the heart of the other team’s lineup in a close game in the late innings, yet he displays the same emotion as a lawn gnome as he breezes through each assignment,” Meisel wrote. “You’d trust him in any situation — the ninth, the sixth, against a gaggle of All-Star hitters or to watch your dog while you’re on vacation. He’s the rare reliever whose jog to the mound doesn’t increase his fan base’s blood pressure.”
Smith has been nothing short of spectacular in his second season in the league.
He had a strong rookie campaign, and he followed it with an even more impressive first month in 2025.
Smith logged a 1.08 ERA with a 1.020 WHIP and 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings pitched in his first 17 appearances this season.
Having him there gave the Guardians an opportunity to be patient with their struggling star, and while Clase is still the main guy there, it was refreshing to see that he could hold down the fort if needed.
Smith’s career is just getting started, and it looks like he’s going to be a steady contributor to this organization for years to come.
NEXT: Stephen Vogt Reveals Injury Update About Key Guardians Outfielder
