The relationship between starting pitcher and closer is among the most unique in baseball. They both need each other to succeed, but they are never on the field at the same time.
So far this season, the Cleveland Guardians have managed that dynamic as well as any team in the majors. They have an incredibly reliable set of starters, and one of the top closers, who is always ready to come in and protect their work.
On Friday, it went perfectly according to plan again. Slade Cecconi started against the Boston Red Sox at Progressive Field, helping the Guardians take the lead, and the bullpen finished the job, with Cade Smith becoming the first reliever to reach 20 saves this season in a 4-3 win.
Afterward, Cecconi had “elite” praise for the Guardians’ closer, saying he has two of the best individual pitches in the game.
“He has arguably the two best pitches in all of baseball, and he knows exactly where they’re going. His four-seam is effectively a hundred-something, and then he throws a splitter that profiles like a left-handed curveball. Like it’s two of the most disgusting pitches in the in the league. It’s elite stuff with elite command and elite consistency on the mound and on a day-to-day basis,” Cecconi said.
"He has arguably the two best pitches in all of baseball… like it's two of the most disgusting pitches in the in the league"#Guardians Slade Cecconi on how Cade Smith's four-seam and splitter help make him such a dominant closer.#GuardsBall @WEWS https://t.co/l3nEsPvvw4 pic.twitter.com/CAZhetxom5
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) May 30, 2026
Almost incredibly, the Guardians have been able to use the same five starters for every one of their 59 games this season. Cecconi, Gavin Williams, Joey Cantillo and Tanner Bibee have each made 12 starts, and Parker Messick will equal that number when he takes the mound Saturday against the Red Sox.
As would be expected, some of them have fared much better than others. Williams and Messick have combined for a 14-4 record, while Bibee has yet to earn a victory with an 0-7 mark. However, as a group, they have combined for a 3.70 ERA that ranks seventh in the majors.
Smith leads the majors by three saves over Mason Miller of the San Diego Padres. He has 42 strikeouts and just five walks in 27.2 innings, and the Guardians have won the game in all but one of his 27 appearances. He has a 1.32 ERA in May and has allowed just 10 baserunners in 13.2 innings this month, emerging as one of the top closers in the sport.
The Guardians will continue to rely on this strong connection for the rest of the season as they attempt to win the AL Central for a third straight season.
NEXT: Guardians Starter Calls Cleveland's Bullpen The 'Best In The League'
