Guardians' dominant bullpen may be the X factor in postseason

CLEVELAND -- Get ready to meet the Big Four.

This isn’t a roster chock-full of superstar players. The Guardians don’t have a top-five rotation in the Majors. They lean on small-ball tactics rather than the long ball.

But no other team has a bullpen quite like this one.

“It always seems like the teams that have that dominant back-end bullpen shut the game down and shorten the game,” Guardians catcher Austin Hedges said.

Dominance has been the theme of this group all season long, as the Guardians ended the season with the fourth-best bullpen ERA (2.57) of any team since 1995.

Anchoring the 'pen is the Big Four: Tim Herrin, Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis and Emmanuel Clase. This foursome may just be the X factor to help Cleveland make a run in October.

Tim Herrin
Appearances: 75 | ERA: 1.92 | Strikeouts: 68 | Innings: 65 2/3

Herrin entered Spring Training as a viable option for this bullpen, but he was far from a lock. It wasn’t until lefty Sam Hentges was sidelined with a finger injury that it became clear this team needed another southpaw. Herrin was the next man in line, and something just clicked.

“I think Tim is finally realizing just how good he can be,” Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said. “We've seen that confidence play out in the way he's managed some really big high-leverage situations for us.”

Herrin gave up just one run in the first month of the season. He had two blown saves in May, but since then he has been nearly lights-out. Yes, the Guardians will like to have Herrin match up against lefty batters, but the beauty of this southpaw is that he’s just as effective against righties. If Cleveland needs him in the fifth or the seventh, Herrin will be ready.

Cade Smith
Appearances: 74 | ERA: 1.91 | Strikeouts: 103 | Innings: 75 1/3

From the moment Smith first toed the big league rubber, it was clear something was different about him.

He didn’t look like a rookie. He didn’t act like a rookie. He certainly didn’t struggle like a rookie. Smith took the ball on the third day of the season, struck out five batters in two innings and solidified his spot for the rest of the year.

They say he has an “invisible fastball,” which essentially means it’s impossible to hit. He ranks in the 100th percentile in fastball run value, per Baseball Savant, and he’s held hitters to a .174 average and a .253 slugging percentage off of it. As the season has gone on, Smith's split-finger has also improved, making him even more dangerous.

“If he didn’t have the best fastball in the world, you would see a lot more split-fingers, because this thing is just devastating,” Hedges said. “We got to make sure [someone] proves he can hit his fastball first.”

Hunter Gaddis
Appearances: 78 | ERA: 1.57 | Strikeouts: 66 | Innings: 74 2/3

Gaddis struggled in the big leagues in 2023 while trying to earn a spot in the rotation, but going into the offseason, he knew there was an opportunity for him in the bullpen. So, Gaddis spent the winter in Goodyear, Ariz., working on making that transition. Suddenly, he’s one of the best setup men in the game.

“He showed up in Spring Training determined to earn a spot in the Major League team and make the most of it,” Antonetti said. “And he's done that and more.”

From June 7 to July 28, Gaddis made 22 appearances without giving up a run. He relies heavily on a slider that’s held batters to a .163 average, but he can mix in a devastating changeup (especially to lefties) that’s limited opponents to a .050 average and .075 slugging percentage.

Emmanuel Clase
Appearances: 74 | ERA: 0.61 | Strikeouts: 66 | Innings: 74 1/3 | Saves: 47

Everything you need to know about Clase can be learned by visiting his Baseball Savant page, which is so bright red you almost need to squint to look at it.

• Clase named AL Reliever of the Month after flawless September

This is a reliever who forced his way into the AL Cy Young conversation this year. This is a closer who gave up just five earned runs all season long. This is a guy with a 100 mph cutter that’s touched 103 mph this season with a lethal slider to pair with it. This is someone who’s helped the Guardians go 82-0 when leading after the eighth inning.

When Clase is in the game with a lead, the Guardians know it’s over.

“Between [Smith] and Clase,” Hedges said, “I haven’t caught too many guys where you could pretty much tell the hitter what’s coming and it’s still probably gonna go our way.”