Guardians Pitching Duo Given High Ranking On Analyst's Top Relievers List

A lot can be said about the dominance of the Cleveland Guardians' bullpen during the 2024 season.

However, all of that starts with who the team had closing games for them in the ninth inning, Emmanuel Clase.

Clase put together one of the best regular seasons by a reliever in the history of MLB, as he recorded a 0.61 ERA, 0.659 WHIP, 2.22 FIP, and a 674 ERA+. He was even a finalist to win the American League Cy Young Award.

That said, it isn't surprising that MLB analyst Buster Olney ranked him No. 1 on his list of top relief pitchers heading into the 2025 season.

Olney points out, "His near-complete dominance of the regular season was the reason why his postseason performance was so shocking."

It's going to take the elite pitcher another playoff appearance to redeem himself for those mistakes.

Still, we can't ignore just how amazing and historic the 2024 season was and not consider him the best reliever heading into 2025.

Oct 12, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase (48) reacts after a strike out in the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers during game five of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

However, Clase wasn't the only Guardians pitcher to appear on Olney's list. The MLB analyst also ranked Cade Smith as the fifth-best reliever in baseball.

Olney praised Cade and Clveland's organization for how "he ascended to the big leagues last year and became the best working example of how teams develop relievers in this era, becoming an overpowering weapon for new manager Stephen Vogt and allowing just one home run in 74 innings."

The Guardians still have several questions about their overall roster heading into the 2024 season.

Something that is for sure is that Cleveland is going to rely on its bullpen yet again to help it win games, and having a duo such as Clase and Smith to handle the final two innings is a recipe for success.

Read More Cleveland Guardians Coverage