A season to remember for Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase

There is a certain feeling a team has when they turn the ball over to their closer in a close game and they have a very good feeling that things will end up playing out in their favor. That is exactly what the Cleveland Guardians had this season with Emmanuel Clase.

The 26-year-old was dominant once again for the Guardians, finishing with a 0.67 ERA and 0.659 WHIP while saving an American League-high 47 games and finishing a major league-high 66. This was the third straight year in games finished Clase led all of baseball and third for leading the American League in saves. Unfortunately, Clase's two-year streak of being the major league leader in saves did come to an end as St. Louis' Ryan Helsley edged him out with 49 on the season.

2024 was very much a bounceback season for Clase. The 2023 season was sort of a troubling one for Clase with a 3.22 ERA and 1.156 WHIP (both career worsts), there were some concerns that he may no longer be as effective as he once was. Part of this was just a down year overall, but not helping matters were his MLB-leading 12-blown saves. With such a dramatic shift that happened to coincide with the new pitching rules implemented to help speed up the game, it was more than fair to worry about how much longer Clase would be a viable closing option in Cleveland. Luckily, Clase was able to rebound better than ever, recording a new franchise record in both career saves (157 and counting) and single-season season saves (47).

When it comes to end-of-season awards, there is no doubt that Clase is going to be near the top of the American League Cy Young conversation, and rightfully so. Clase was pretty much automatic when he came in to pitch in a closing situation, and very few closers can be described in this manner. In just about any other year, Clase would be a shoo-in to win the AL Cy Young, but this year's award seems destined to go to Detroit's Tarik Skubal. But that does not mean Clase did not have an elite season because the fact of the matter is he did, and he has the numbers back it up.

With the regular season behind them, Clase and the Guardians will be looking to go an extended postseason run with him anchoring the back of the bullpen. If Cleveland has a lead late in the playoffs, it is going to be Clase time, and once that happens, it is best to sit back and watch him go to work.