Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase unfairly given harsh title

The beginning of the 2025 season has not gone as planned for Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase. The elite level of performance that was a consistent theme throughout 2024 that resulted in a third-place finish in American League Cy Young voting has not been seen nearly enough and that has been concerning.

Entering play on Monday, May 5th, Clase has a 5.87 ERA and 1.761 WHIP in 15.1 innings pitched. The 27-year-old has given up 11 runs on 24 hits and three walks, not quite what the Guardians are looking for when calling upon their closer. This has led to Clase being given an incredibly unfair and harsh title in a recent list.

As part of Kerry Miller's Patience or Panic on All 30 MLB Teams' Biggest Weakness appearing on Bleacher Report, Clase was named as Cleveland's biggest weakness. To be disappointed or underwhelmed by what Clase has done on the mound is one thing, but being classified as the Guardians' biggest weakness seems like a big stretch.

It would be different if the metrics on Clase's pitches were showing a major red flag, but Miller makes sure to note how that does not really seem to be the case. "Clase didn't suddenly forget how to throw the cutter, though, and both his velocity and spin rate on it are almost identical to last year. It's probably just a rough stretch of nearly impossible BABIP luck," writes MIller, in a somewhat contradictory statement to Cleveland's closer appearing on this list.

Ultimately, when it comes to whether it is best to exercise patience or panic about Clase's early season performance, Miller ends up in the patience camp. Miller's "Patience with a tough four weeks after a great four years" commentary seems like an appropriate way to evaluate Clase at this moment in time. If things do not normalize by the end of May, it would be time for a completely different discussion, but for now, patience is the name of the game.