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A catastrophic showing in the playoffs will overshadow the sensational season that closer Emmanuel Clase enjoyed in 2024, at least as far as many MLB fans are concerned, but the Cleveland Guardians are proud of their guy. They spotlighted the right-hander after he took home his second American League Reliever of the Year Award in three years.
“The best reliever in baseball gets his flowers,” the Guardians' official X account posted after the expected news became official at Thursday's MLB Awards. Clase is a finalist for AL Cy Young, which will be announced next week, so he was a lock for this crown.
The 26-year-old out of the Dominican Republic posted a stupendous 0.61 ERA, 47 saves and 66 strikeouts in 74 1/3 innings this past season, marking his third campaign in the last four with a sub-1.50 ERA and at least 70 appearances. He was the unquestioned best closer in baseball, but everything went inexplicably haywire in October.
Guardians' Emmanuel Clase ended his all-time great year on a sour note
Clase recorded an abysmal 9.00 ERA in seven playoff games this year, amounting to eight earned runs. He was charged with just five during the entire 2024 regular season. An absurdly dominant hurler melted on the big stage, surrendering late-inning home runs to Kerry Carpenter, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. It was as if someone stole the three-time All-Star's aura and talent a la The Monstars in “Space Jam.”
This specific occasion is commemorating what Emmanuel Clase accomplished for the other six months of the season, however. The Guardians would not have won an unforeseen 92 games while earning an AL Central title and a trip to the AL Championship Series without his massive contributions. During the course of his historic year, Clase also became Cleveland's all-time saves leader (157). Keep in mind that this franchise has existed for more than 100 years.
When one analyzes a reliever's overall body of work, the postseason must be emphasized. Closers, perhaps more than any singular position, are most remembered for how they perform when the lights are at their brightest. Clase did toss six scoreless innings during the Guardians' 2022 playoff outing, though, and could have opportunities to string together another impressive big-game run in the future.
But for now, he and his team are once again celebrating his official status as the AL Reliever of the Year.
