Cleveland Indians: Karinchak, Clase, Shaw best bullpen trio in baseball?

Bryan Shaw

Of the three, Bryan Shaw has the most experience and is the oldest of the trio at 33-years old, but he’s keeping pace with the young guns in more ways than one. After being part of the trio that included Cody Allen and Andrew Miller, Shaw has revitalized his career with his return to Cleveland after struggles in Colorado and Seattle.

This season, Shaw has finished off two games for the Tribe while returning to his previous role with the club, consisting of either the seventh inning or spot appearances to get the team out of trouble. In total, he’s logged 16 innings for Cleveland this season.

Over his time on the mound in 2021, Shaw has allowed just three earned runs while striking out 18 and even logging a save while allowing just four total hits. That success has led to a 1.69 ERA and an even more impressive 0.88 WHIP.

Shaw won’t get as much recognition has Karinchak or Clase in the big picture since he doesn’t register saves very often, but his role is just as important. He begins the backend of the game and sets up the opportunities for Karinchak and Clase to log the save when the game goes final.