Emmanuel Clase Makes Guardians History In Win Over Angels, Passes Cleveland Legend

Emmanuel Clase passes Jose Mesa on the all-time Cleveland saves list.

The most important position on any baseball team is the closer. A good closer could be the difference between a win and a loss. Lucky for the Cleveland Guardians, they have one of the game's best. 

This is right-handed pitcher Emmanuel Clase.

Clevland acquired Clase from the Texas Rangers in 2020 for former Cleveland hurler Corey Kluber. This was a painful trade for fans at the time but knowing how good Clase would become would've softened the blow. 

Clase has been with the Guardians for almost three full seasons (one of those being the shortened 2020 season) and has found a home in the back of the bullpen. He has an ERA of 1.86 and a WHIP of 0.933 while wearing a Cleveland jersey.

Most importantly, he has already recorded 105 saves and passed Cleveland legend Jose Mesa for the most fifth saves in the history of the franchise. 

Clase is in the midst of another great season even though he's faced some adversity along the way. The flamethrower was an All-Star again in 2023 even though he did not pitch in the game. 

His most recent save came on Saturday evening as the Guardians closed out game two of a four-game set with the Los Angeles Angels. It also came just 24 hours after Clase blew a save in game one. 

Apr 1, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase (48) throws against the Seattle Mariners during the ninth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

The Guardians were lucky to Clase to a five-year extension when they did because opposing teams would be exact to have a pitcher of his caliber for one season. 

Being close isn't easy. A pitcher has to be able to have the mindset to withstand high-leverage situations which include tight games on the road. Clase most of the time thrives in this role and we'll get to see him climb up Cleveland's leaderboards for years to come.