Last season was a tale of two halves for the Cleveland Guardians bullpen. In the first half of the season the Guardians rolled with familiar names in Emmanuel Clase, Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis, and others.
But then Emmanuel Clase was placed on non-disciplinary leave at the end of July, which changed the tenor of the Guardians’ season — and the franchise’s long-term outlook.
However, the Guardians bullpen posted a 2.92 ERA in the 184 2/3 innings after Clase was suspended, which was the best mark in baseball among relief units in that time.
The Guardians ended up sneaking into the postseason thanks to some otherworldly performances from everyone on their pitching staff, and it looks like they’re going to need another strong performance from the unit in 2026 if they want to make it back to October.