Guardians Elite Reliever Shares What Made Bullpen So Dominant

Cade Smith says that everyone in the Cleveland Guardians bullpen was ready to go into a game.

Oct 17, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Cade Smith (36) throws during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees in game 3 of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images / David Dermer-Imagn Images

Cade Smith appeared on MLB Radio to recap his 2024 rookie season and the dominant year from the Cleveland Guardians' bullpen.

This group was undeniably the best reliever core in baseball throughout the regular season and into the playoffs. However, Smith reveals one thing that made this group so good, especially in leverage moments.

"I think the beauty of our bullpen over the course of the year was kind of that all-hands-on-deck mentality. Like, that group down there was unified in our approach, that whenever the phone rang, every single one of us was ready to go into the game or - preparing to depending on some nuance with roles. The point being, whatever was asked for us, we were ready for that, and that was the group identity, and even more so in the playoffs," said Smith.

May 22, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Cade Smith (36) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the New York Mets at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

This philosophy shouldn't be overlooked when analyzing Cleveland's bullpen dominance. Having a group that is ready to step up whenever their number is called is a way to keep pushing one another to be the best version of themselves.

The Guardians' bullpen had an MLB-best 2.57 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP during the 2024 regular season. Smith contributed to those stats with a 1.91 ERA and 1.40 FIP in 74 appearances.

Cleveland should be bringing back essentially the same group of relievers in 2025. They've already shown the skill set to be the best bullpen in baseball, but if they keep this always-ready mentality, always-ready mentality Cade mentions, they'll yet again be a dominant force to deal with.