Emmanuel Clase Needs To Keep Doing This For The Guardians

Emmanuel Clase has sealed the deal in 13 of his last 15 save opportunities while posting an ERA of 1.61 since July 7 for the Cleveland Guardians.

Emmanuel Clase started the 2023 season fresh off winning the American League Reliever of the Year award while making his All-Star debut. He led the league in saves while posting an ERA of 1.36. This gave the Cleveland Guaridnas a ton of confidence late in games.

Then his ERA has spiked to 2.86 this season after Clase struggled early in the year. He had an ERA of 4.97 in the month of May which was eye-opening for everyone. 

However, the full-season stats don't paint an accurate picture of how Clase has recently pitched. He's once again become a reliable arm to bring in in the ninth inning of a tight ballgame.

Clase has sealed the deal in 13 of his last 15 save opportunities while posting an ERA of 1.61 since July 7. Not every pitcher can throw in high-leverage situations, but that's when he's at his best. 

The Guardians are still in a fight for the American League Central and they're going to need Clase to keep being Clase at the end of games. 

Jun 27, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase (48) shakes hands with Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor (23) after beating the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

With all the ups and downs Clase has faced this season, he's still one of baseball's best relievers. The flamethrower had 37 saves heading Tuesday night which led MLB in this category. Some of the players closely behind him are Alexis Daiz (35) and Camilo Doval (35).

One of the most impressive parts of Clase's skillset is that he never appears to need a day off. He led baseball in appearances in 2022 with 77 and could do the same thing in 2023. Cleveland's closer has pitched in 64 games which is tied for third in baseball.