Emmanuel Clase moves into second place on Cleveland's all-time saves list

Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase is in the midst of a special season. Not only is his microscopic 0.78 ERA and 0.647 WHIP beyond his impressive, but he has currently found himself on the fast track to making team history.

Clase recorded his American League-leading 30th save in Tuesday night's 5-4 win over the Detroit Tigers. This save has resulted in Clase moving into sole possession of second place on the Guardians' all-time saves list, trailing current leader Cody Allen by just nine saves. Clase was previously tied with Bob Wickman prior to closing Tuesday's win against Detroit.

As the above post from the Guardians' social media account on X states, it will not be long before Clase finds himself atop this list and becomes the organization's all-time leader in saves. Clase has had plenty of opportunities late in games this season, as he currently leads all of baseball in games finished (42). The combination of late-game availability and elite performance on the mound in closing duties should result in Clase taking the number one spot before the regular season is over. The Guardians are a good enough team that those save opportunities will come, and Clase has proven capable of shutting the door when called upon.

This season has been a bounceback of sorts for Clase. There were some concerns about his viability as Cleveland's closer after what took place last season. Sure, Clase led all of baseball in saves (44) and games finished (65), but his 3.22 ERA and 1.156 WHIP were both career-highs, while his 7.9 strikeouts per nine were the lowest of his career up to that point. Not helping matters were his major league-leading 12 blown saves, which only further questioned his future as Clevleand's closer. The good news is that Clase was able to put 2023 behind him and return to pitching at an elite level on a consistent basis. This level of performance should result in Clase racking up the saves and cementing himself as one of the game's best closers.