Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians had a case for the most dominant season in franchise history in 2024.
He broke every kind of record you might imagine.
Well, some people think that rookie Cade Smith had an even better year.
Depending on the stat of your preference, the first-year right-hander definitely has a case.
Wins Above Replacement, or WAR, tell us how many wins a player contributed above a replacement-level player.
Basically, it helps paint the picture of just how much a specific player contributed to his team.
Smith, in his very first season in the majors, topped not just Clase, but each and every reliever in the league in WAR.
“Smith’s 2.7 fWAR was highest amongst all MLB relievers in 2024 not just rookie,” Guardians Prospective posted on X.
Smith's 2.7 fWAR was highest amongst all MLB relievers in 2024 not just rookies. https://t.co/dWQ0V30C1l
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) January 7, 2025
In case you were wondering, Clase checked in at fifth place in MLB with 2.2 WAR.
Griffin Jax was second among relievers with 2.6, followed by Mason Miller and Ryan Helsley, both with 2.3.
In short, you could say Smith was the best reliever in the majors this past season and it wouldn’t be a ridiculous statement.
In fact, it might be quite accurate, yet very controversial for a myriad of reasons.
It was baffling, therefore, to see Smith being snubbed from the list of finalists for the AL Rookie of the Year award.
Not only he deserves to be among the last three, but you can build a convincing case he deserved to win.
Rookie pitchers who post a 1.91 ERA in 75.1 innings don’t grow on trees, especially those who can strike out more than 100 hitters (103, to be precise) over that sample.
The Guardians have a special hurler in Smith.
NEXT: Guardians Catching Prospect Working Hard On His Throwing
