Emmanuel Clase Should Be An All-Star This Season
The Guardians' bullpen has been one of the strongest and most consistent parts of the team this year. A lot of that has to do with how Emmanuel Clase has pitched late in games.
Clase started off the year a little shaky in his first couple of appearances, but he has really settled in and has been dominant for the Guardians in the ninth inning. He has a season ERA of 2.11 over 21.1 innings pitched and in the month of May he had a 0.82 ERA, only gave up three runs (one earned), and had three saves.
Compared to the rest of the league, Clase has been one of the best closers in all of baseball with the pitches he throws. He ranks in the 99th percentile in chase rate, the 98th percentile in fastball spin, and the 100th percentile in fastball velocity.
The two pitches that really make Clase stand out are his slider and cutter. His slider has a 41.9 percent Whiff rate and constantly makes batters look silly. Clase's cutter on the other hand might be one of the meanest pitches in baseball. Its average mph is 99.7 and has a putaway percentage of 30.3. This is the pitch Clase uses the most by a long shot and it is easy to see why.
All of these stats show why Clase should be an All-Star this year. He is one of the main reasons that the Guardians bullpen is as good as it is, and is clearly one of the best relievers in the league.
With Jose Ramirez getting an extension so close to Opening Day, fans may forget that the Guardians signed Clase to a five-year $20 million contract extension before the season began. This is turning into a great deal for the club the way that Clase has been pitching, and it's great to know this young team has a closer locked up for a while!
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