Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase has been impressing everybody for years, not only in the first half.
Let’s not forget he had a 1.29 ERA (!) last season.
This year, he is at an equally impressive 1.41.
He throws 100-mph gas, he gets more than a strikeout per inning, and his groundball percentage is at an incredible 61.5 percent.
In other words, he has the tools to keep dominating for years to come.
But lots of pitchers are capable of throwing 100 mph.
So, what makes Clase special?
He can throw it with control, he can place it wherever he wants, and the pitch has natural cut.
It’s a cutter, in fact.
With the help of Codify Baseball, we can see how much exactly it cuts.
Horizontal movement of Clase's ten cutters yesterday:
0" horizontal
1" of cut
2" of armside
1" of cut
3" of armside
3" of cut
2" of cut
4" of cut
4" of cut
4" of cut https://t.co/vm6PIMch7t— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) July 20, 2022
Imagine being a hitter and having to face a pitcher who can throw a triple-digit cutter.
He Is Virtually Impossible To Hit
It’s hard enough to hit high velocity with no movement: now imagine doing it while the pitch moves.
It’s almost impossible: many hitters have tried, mostly unsuccessfully.
Clase showed his worth with three strikeouts in the All-Star Game, at the biggest of stages.
The 46-44 Guardians may not be full of stars, but Clase is definitely one of them.
As long as there is a late lead to protect, he will always deliver.
The Guardians are hoping he can be the closer of the next Guardians’ postseason team.
He couldn’t pitch in the short-lived 2020 postseason run because he was suspended for using performance-enhancing drugs.
However, that’s in the past now, and he is looking at the present and the future.
For him, those two are extremely bright as long as he is healthy.
Leave a Reply