This story was excerpted from Mandy Bell’s Guardians Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

It’s the time of year when we all give a little more thought about what we’re thankful for in our lives. When it comes to Guardians reliever Erik Sabrowski, he can now be thankful that he didn’t quit baseball two years ago.

In October of 2022, Sabrowski picked up the phone and called his agent.

“'I don’t know if I’m loving this right now,'” Sabrowski recalled saying. “[My agent] said he would fly to Edmonton and kick my [butt] if I quit.”

Sabrowski had every right to want to walk away. He was in the middle of recovering from his second Tommy John surgery. He had already sat through a cancelled 2020 Minor League season due to COVID. He was turning 25 years old and had never been above High-A. Plus, committing to finish this rehab process meant living in a dorm in Arizona, away from his fiancée, Renée, for another 12 months.

He was ready to change his dream and go be a social studies teacher. But what if he was told that just two-and-a-half years later he’d be part of the best bullpen in Major League Baseball?

“I wouldn’t have believed you,” Sabrowski laughed. “I would appreciate the spark, but I wouldn’t have believed you."

The future may have seemed out of reach, but Sabrowski decided to listen to his agent and follow through on this commitment to the game. Two months later, his phone rang. It was the Guardians.

Sabrowski was drafted by the Padres in the 14th round of the 2018 MLB Draft. Two weeks after he was selected, he learned he’d have to undergo Tommy John surgery for the first time. He pitched in just eight games in San Diego's system over the next three years -- all of those appearances in 2021 -- due to injuries and the pandemic. So, he wasn’t necessarily expecting to be taken in the Rule 5 Draft, but Cleveland had seen something in the lefty that it wanted.

“That was another thing that helped me get through the rehab,” Sabrowski said. “There’s an organization out there -- and it’s Cleveland of all teams, the pitching factory -- that believes they can see something in me and believe that they can help me get there.”

Everything started to build from there.

Sabrowski got back on the rubber for Double-A Akron in 2023 and delivered a 2.49 ERA over 20 appearances. He pitched well in the Fall League that offseason and earned a promotion to Triple-A Columbus in ’24. He struggled in those first few outings at the highest Minor League level, but he made an adjustment in July and August that helped him settle back in -- and catch the big league staff's eye.

So his phone rang, again.

“Renée was sitting beside me when my phone lit up with [Triple-A manager] Andy Tracy,” Sabrowski said. “She almost put a dent in the roof she jumped so high. It was really awesome.”

It was the moment he thought would never come: He was finally going to make his Major League debut, even if it didn’t happen for six games after getting his callup. It was all worth the wait.

Sabrowski pitched 1 1/3 innings against the Royals on Sept. 4 without giving up a run. It set the tone for a flawless introduction to the Majors, considering he didn’t allow a run over his eight regular season appearances (12 2/3 innings). He went from the guy that had fans wondering, “Who is this?” when he was first called up to, “Sabrowski has to be on the postseason roster, right?” in a matter of weeks.

He was, indeed, put on the playoff roster, and he only gave up one run in 5 1/3 innings between the American League Division Series and AL Championship Series.

Sabrowski soaked in every second of this magical run. In each champagne celebration, his grin spanned ear to ear while chasing his teammates around the room.

This is a guy who knows he wasn’t supposed to be here. He knows the odds were stacked against him. He knows he was so close to walking away, but didn’t. Instead, he’s set himself up to be a staple in this bullpen for years to come.

Needless to say, there aren’t many people on this team who will be more grateful than Sabrowski this holiday season.

“Who’s got it better than me? That’s what I think,” Sabrowski said. “Like, first place team, popped champagne twice, best bullpen ever, it’s been incredible.”