Cleveland Guardians' Emmanuel Clase Snaps Historic Streak in AL Cy Young Race

Emmanuel Clase was dominant out of the Cleveland Guardians' bullpen in 2024, becoming the first relief pitcher to finish top-three in Cy Young voting in 16 years as a result.

Oct 10, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase (48) reacts to a strike out in the in the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers during game four of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Comerica Park. / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Emmanuel Clase strung together a historic 2024 campaign with the Cleveland Guardians, earning historic recognition in the process.

The Baseball Writers' Association of America revealed the finalists for its major year-end awards on Monday, including American League Cy Young. Clase made the cut, as did Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal and Kansas City Royals veteran Seth Lugo.

Skubal and Lugo are both starters, as is typical for Cy Young finalists. Clase, on the other hand, is bucking the trend just by placing in the top three.

According to MLB.com's Sarah Langs, Clase is the first relief pitcher to finish top-three in Cy Young voting since Francisco Rodriguez did so in 2008.

Emmanuel Clase is the first relief pitcher to finish top-3 for Cy Young since Francisco Rodríguez in 2008 https://t.co/KM874DFOyN

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) November 12, 2024

It isn't as if there haven't been elite seasons put up by relievers over the last 16 years, either.

Boston Red Sox reliever Koji Uehara had a 1.09 ERA and 3.5 WAR in 2013, helping him place seventh in Cy Young voting. Craig Kimbrel placed top-10 four years in a row between 2011 and 2014 back when he was with the Atlanta Braves, and he earned another sixth-place finish with the Red Sox in 2016.

Baltimore Orioles closer Zack Britton finished fourth in 2016 thanks to his 0.54 ERA, 47 saves and 4.1 WAR. That same year, the Guardians got Andrew Miller in a trade with the New York Yankees and had him place ninth with a 1.45 ERA and 3.8 WAR.

Josh Hader has won three NL Reliever of the Year awards with the Milwaukee Brewers, but his highest Cy Young finish was in seventh place back in 2018.

The last time an AL reliever won Cy Young was Dennis Eckersley in 1992. The last NL reliever to achieve the feat was Eric Gagne in 2003. Clase is not favored to break those streaks, considering Skubal won the pitching Triple Crown, but that doesn't take anything away from what he accomplished this season.

Clase made his third consecutive All-Star appearance this summer and wound up leading all of MLB in saves for the third year in a row. He finished the year 4-2 with a 0.61 ERA, 0.659 WHIP, 47 saves and a 4.4 WAR.

Since he is the only reliever up for a Cy Young, Clase can basically be penciled in as the AL Reliever of the Year, if he wasn't already.

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