Cleveland Guardians Reliever Erik Sabrowski Could Be Huge Out of the Bullpen in 2026

The Cleveland Guardians have a bit of an odd bullpen heading into 2026.

They've got a mix of young, unpolished and raw arms, all of which are hoping to find consistency in the upcoming season. While guys like Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis and Matt Festa all return to provide reliable, veteran-like experience for the team, just about everyone else will be skating on thin ice.

The front office spent much of the offseason signing different arms to prove-it deals, with a chance for prospects to join the mix very quickly. That group includes Shawn Armstrong, Connor Brogdon and Colin Holderman, with Peyton Pallette joining the minors as a Rule 5 Draftee.

Heading into spring training, they actually also added nine prospects to the non-invite list, giving them a chance to get valuable opportunities against major league talent.

However, through everyone the team had heading into the offseason, or those that will sport the navy blue and red for the first time in 2026, there's one player who's quietly poised to take over. His name is Erik Sabrowski, a high-level, breakout talent for the team last season.

Erik Sabrowski has been incredible this season:

🔺19.0 IP
🔺1.42 ERA
🔺35.1 K%
🔺1.21 WHIP

The next great Guardians reliever has arrived🙌 #GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/d60y2UXKIJ
— SleeperGuardians (@SleeperGuards) August 28, 2025

Sabrowski's Dominance in 2025

After being a 14th-round selection back in the 2018 MLB June Amateur Draft and taking multiple years to finally get legitimate time in the major leagues, Sabrowski took advantage of the limited opportunities he was given.

In 2024, he appeared in 12.2 innings of action, holding batters to a 0.00 ERA while striking out 19. For some reason, though, Cleveland wasn't convinced yet and placed him in the minors for a bit of time in 2025. Eventually, he earned a promotion and was given the nod towards the end of June.

In 33 games played, he recorded a 1.84 ERA, 1.193 WHIP and nearly 13 strikeouts per nine innings. He's always been a machine in sending batters packing, but his control is what got him into pinches in the minors. Fortunately, it seems that the Guardians' coaching staff was able to break him out of some of those tendencies.

He allowed just three hits in August and five hits in September, coming up big for the team when they needed him the most. While he did walk a total of 13 batters during that time, his control got better as the year concluded, walking zero over the last four games.

Cleveland loves their high extension arms, and Sabrowski's no exception. He finished 2025 in the 79th percentile at a mark of 6.8.

His advanced metrics show that he's got what it takes to be one of the top arms out of Cleveland's bullpen. Last year, if he qualified, he would've been in the top percentile in xBA, xERA, Whiff%, K%, and Barrel%.

It'll be intriguing to see how he stacks up when he's given the appropriate amount of time to qualify for percentiles.

When diving into his pitches, he relies on a three-pitch mix led by his four-seam fastball, which he throws 68% of the time at an average of 93.9 mph. He complements the fastball with a mid-80s slider and a slower curveball, using both pitches to change up speeds in at-bats to better disrupt hitters’ timing. For a youngster, he's got a lot of time to really polish all three, but he's making solid work of them right now.

The combination gives Sabrowski a simple but effective arsenal that allows him to attack hitters aggressively. So far, his four-seam and curveball are most effective against righties, while his slider is his go-to for lefties.

In 2026, the expectation for him is to become more consistent with all three against each batter he's facing. With the loss of Emmanuel Clase due to an illegal gambling investigation, Sabrowski could end up finding his way into late-game situations needing to close out for the Guardians.

The first look at how much Sabrowski's confidence has grown and what improvements he made in the offseason will come in spring training. The Guardians' first game is set for Saturday, Feb. 21, at 3:05 p.m. EST against the Cincinnati Reds.