2026 will mark the inaugural campaign for the Baseball Writers Association of America’s (BBWAA) Relief Pitcher of the Year award. It will be given to each league’s top bullpen piece.
The Cleveland Guardians’ bullpen is among the best in the league, and that has been the case for years. It wouldn’t be where it is without Cade Smith, though.
The right-hander is a firm candidate to win BBWAA’s Relief Pitcher of the Year award, and Guardians insider Paul Hoynes made it clear that he would have his vote.
“I know who I’d vote for if I had a vote,” he said. “I’d vote for Cade Smith.”
The award will basically be a Cy Young for relievers. With that in mind, no one in the American League should be favored over Smith.
As Hoynes and Joe Noga said on the Cleveland Baseball Talk podcast, perhaps Tampa Bay closer Bryan Baker, who leads baseball with 40 saves, could compete with Smith for the piece of hardware. The Guardians’ stopper, however, has been better despite the former’s 1.49 ERA.
Smith has significantly more fWAR (2.4 to 1.3), a much better Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP, 2.21 to 3.05), and a whopping 103 strikeouts to Baker’s 62. Those 103 punchouts lead the AL relievers before Monday’s games.
The best thing about Smith is his consistency. He has been a full-time MLB reliever since 2024, and in each season, his ERA has been below 3.00, and he has racked up at least 100 strikeouts. Additionally, he has shown he can succeed in any role: as a traditional one-inning reliever, as a setup man, as a multi-inning guy, and as a closer. He is manager Stephen Vogt’s most dangerous bullpen weapon heading into the postseason, if the Guardians can secure their place there, of course.
Smith, who overcame a rocky start to the season, has been lights out in the second half, with a microscopic 0.67 ERA in 27 innings. He is not just peaking at the right time, but he has looked almost unhittable at times, and his presence in the ninth inning is a sight that hitters absolutely hate.
At this point, it’s clear that this is Cade Smith’s world, and we’re just living in it.
NEXT: Trade Deadline Gamble Is Paying Off Big For Guardians
