When Cade Smith pushes through the bullpen door at Progressive Field, the Guardians’ dugout gets a lift before he ever throws a pitch. The right-hander has become Cleveland’s late-inning answer, the closer teammates expect to finish the job as the club opens its American League Division Series on Saturday.
A closer built for October
Smith will carry a first-time All-Star season into Game 1 of the ALDS, scheduled for 1 p.m. ET Saturday on TBS, truTV, UniMas and HBO Max. Cleveland hopes the series is only the start of a lengthy October, and its bullpen plans will naturally begin with the man who tied for the Major League lead with 41 saves.
In 69 outings covering 74 innings this season, Smith posted a 1.95 ERA and struck out a career-best 107 hitters. He assumed the closer’s job in July after Emmanuel Clase went on leave, taking the role after spending much of his earlier work as a setup option or as a weapon for the game’s toughest earlier moment.
- Smith finished tied atop MLB with 41 saves.
- He recorded 107 strikeouts in 74 innings.
- His 1.95 ERA came across 69 appearances.
- He became only the second reliever, alongside Dick Radatz, to strike out at least 100 hitters in each of his first three Major League seasons.
- Smith and Mason Miller are the only relievers to reach 100 strikeouts in each of the last three seasons.
Second baseman Travis Bazzana described the feeling in the clubhouse simply: when Smith enters, players feel as if the game is in safe hands. Reliever Shawn Armstrong said the right-hander comes alive under the bright lights, calling him particularly enjoyable to watch when the stakes rise.
The routine behind the results
Smith’s numbers have put him among baseball’s most dependable relief arms since his 2024 rookie year. From the beginning of that season through the present, he ranks second among Major League relievers with 314 strikeouts, trailing only Miller. Among relievers with at least 150 innings in that span, Smith’s 2.26 ERA ranks fourth.
Inside Cleveland’s bullpen, those results are tied to a daily process that rarely changes. Manager Stephen Vogt has repeatedly pointed to Smith’s unusually detailed preparation. Slade Cecconi said Smith’s timetable has become so familiar that a teammate could practically map out his day in advance.
“Every day, he’s a machine of routine and consistency,” Cecconi said.
Bazzana said Smith trusts his preparation and remains level through both success and adversity. Armstrong sees the same thing from the bullpen, whether Cleveland is protecting a narrow lead, playing a tie game or sitting on either side of a lopsided score.
Smith said the work must be earned anew each day. Preparation, he said, allows him to compete consistently regardless of the inning or game situation. In the postseason, he knows, there is little room for a mistake.
Cleveland can use him before the ninth
Taking over the ninth required an adjustment for Smith, who had been accustomed to preparing for setup assignments and high-leverage situations earlier in games. The experience has broadened his comfort level rather than narrowed it, giving Vogt a potential postseason option beyond the conventional save situation.
Fifteen of Smith’s appearances this year began in the eighth inning, and he worked more than one inning 13 times. That versatility could matter in a short series, particularly with Vogt acknowledging that every out can reshape a postseason game.
September offered a preview
Smith showed his ability to cover extended relief work against the White Sox last month. He threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings on Sept. 15, then returned for 1 1/3 shutout innings the following day.
- On Sept. 16, Smith entered in the eighth inning after Erik Sabrowski.
- He inherited a two-on, two-out jam.
- He escaped the threat and helped Cleveland secure a 6-3 victory.
That kind of deployment may be available again in October. The Guardians can wait for the ninth, call on Smith in the eighth, or ask him to get more than three outs when a game turns on one difficult matchup.
Ready for the crowd and the moment
Smith said he is eager for the series to begin and for Cleveland fans to fill the ballpark. He is also looking forward to watching teammates who have not experienced postseason baseball discover what the atmosphere can bring.
For the Guardians, the plan is straightforward even if the route through an October game is not: get the ball to Smith whenever the moment calls for him. His steady routine travels well, and Cleveland believes his stuff does, too.
