Cleveland Guardians Relievers on Pace to Post MLB's Best Bullpen ERA in a Decade

Thanks to closer Emmanuel Clase and a handful of other workhorse relievers, the Cleveland Guardians' bullpen is having one of the best seasons in recent memory.

Sep 2, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase (48) reacts after defeating the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

For all the well-deserved praise Emmanuel Clase has earned this season, he is far from the only reliever who has dominated for the Cleveland Guardians.

Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith share the team lead with 67 appearances apiece this year. The former boasts a 1.55 ERA, 0.781 WHIP and 2.5 WAR, while the latter owns a 2.12 ERA, 0.941 WHIP and 2.1 WAR.

Gaddis entered 2024 with a 6.57 ERA in 13 career MLB appearances, nine of which were starts. Smith, on the other hand, is a rookie.

Along with that pair's respective breakout seasons, Cleveland has had Tim Herrin thrive as the group's go-to lefty. The second-year southpaw is 5-0 with a 2.05 ERA, 1.035 WHIP and 1.5 WAR across 66 outings.

And then, naturally, there's Clase.

The 26-year-old closer is 4-2 with a 0.69 ERA, 0.658 WHIP, 42 saves and a 3.9 WAR this season, picking up his third consecutive All-Star nod as a result. This year has marked a return to form for Clase, who had sub-2.00 ERAs and sub-1.000 WHIPs in both 2021 and 2022, but a 3.22 ERA and 1.156 WHIP in 2023.

Taking all of those stud relievers into account – plus other contributors such as Pedro Avila, Nick Sandlin and Eli Morgan – the Guardians lead the league with a 2.77 bullpen ERA so far in 2024.

As noted by StatMuse Baseball, that is on pace to be the lowest by any team since the Pittsburgh Pirates' relievers combined for a 2.67 ERA in 2015. The Kansas City Royals' bullpen also had a 2.72 ERA that regular season before going on to win the World Series.

The Guards bullpen ERA is a ridiculous 2.77.

That's the lowest in a full season since the Pirates in 2015 (2.67). pic.twitter.com/BRkfGNPRVo

— StatMuse Baseball (@statmusemlb) September 9, 2024

The St. Louis Cardinals are the only team with more saves than the Guardians this year, while the Cincinnati Reds are the only team with fewer blown saves.

Six separate relievers have made over 60 appearances for Cleveland in 2024, although that includes Scott Barlow, who was designated for assignment over the weekend. And even then, Barlow had a 3.12 ERA, 19 holds and two saves before July turned to August and his production began to drop off.

The Guardians bullpen has a chance to improve upon its numbers this week, as they open up a series with the lowly Chicago White Sox on Monday. First pitch for the opener is scheduled for 7:40 p.m. ET.

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