Emmanuel Clase continues to move up Guardians' all-time saves list with 20th of season

Another game and another save from Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase. Clase came on in the 9th inning against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night, and even though he would allow just his third run of the season, he was able to preserve the win for the Guardians, as they moved to 43-22 on the year and Clase would collect his 20th save of the season.

Clase's 20 saves currently lead the American League, while his 28 games finished are the most in all of baseball. While both are impressive in their own right, there is an even bigger story here. Tuesday night's save saw Clase break a tie with Doug Jones on Cleveland's all-time saves list and move into sole possession of third place with his 130th save for the Guardians. All but one of Clase's career saves have come with Cleveland, as he recorded one save during his time with the Texas Rangers in 2019. Clase is currently 19 saves behind all-time leader Cody Allen, and is only a matter of time before he sits atop the list all by himself.

This season has been a comeback of sorts for Clase. There were some concerns about Clase's viability in that position last year, as his ERA and WHIP took a noticeable step back to 3.22 and 1.1156, the highest of his career. Considering the relative volatility of relief arms in general, this was very concerning. Perhaps the new rules instituted by Major League Baseball prior to 2023 may have disrupted enough of Clase's in-game routine that he could no longer be the shutdown closer the Guardians need. The good news is that Clase has been able to put them behind him and is back and better than ever this season. This is going to make the Guardians' chances at winning the American League Central division that much better with a lockdown closer they can turn to on an almost nightly basis.