Guards' biggest weapon this October just might be their young lockdown closer

CLEVELAND -- The feeling you get when the bullpen door opens, and Cade Smith begins to jog to the pitcher’s mound? The Guardians get it too.

“You’re kind of smiling inside, feeling like it's locked down and you’re going to win,” second baseman Travis Bazzana said. “You just expect that he's going to get the job done.”

Smith’s reputation is well-earned; he’s been one of the most fearsome relievers in baseball since his 2024 rookie season. He emerged as one of the most lockdown closers in the Majors this year, in his first full season in that role.

As the Guardians embark upon what they hope will be a long postseason run, they're looking forward to every opportunity to hand the ball to Smith, whose steady demeanor and dominant arsenal are built for October’s high-stakes stage.

“When the lights turn on,” Guardians reliever Shawn Armstrong said, “man, it's go time, and it's fun to watch.”

Smith, a first-time All-Star this season, logged a 1.95 ERA and a career-high 107 strikeouts in 74 innings over 69 appearances this season, while finishing tied for the MLB lead with 41 saves. The right-hander joined Dick Radatz as the only relievers in MLB history to have 100 strikeouts in each of their first three seasons.

Smith and Mason Miller are the only relievers to hit the century mark in each of the past three seasons.

Smith has set the bar high since his 2024 rookie campaign, and through a ‘25 season in which he took over the closer role in July after Emmanuel Clase went on leave. He’s held himself to an equally high standard along the way.

“Each day you have to continue to earn it,” Smith said. “You have to continue to work and prepare so you can go out and compete and be consistent and do the job that is asked of you, regardless of the context that it is. And how much more important is that now when we're playing with everything on the line? There's a low margin for error, thin margin for error.”

One of the most consistent things you hear about Smith is how diligent he is with his preparation. Manager Stephen Vogt has said on multiple occasions this year he hasn’t seen anyone whose routines are as dialed in as Smith’s. Bullpen mate Slade Cecconi said it's at the point where he could probably tell you what his schedule will look like on a given day.

It’s no surprise the right-hander has performed the way he has the past three seasons. Since 2024, Smith ranks second in MLB strikeouts (314) behind Miller, and fourth in ERA (2.26) among relievers who have thrown at least 150 innings.

“Every day, he's a machine of routine and consistency,” Cecconi said.

“He can just know that his process is good and trust himself, and he understands the ebbs and flows,” Bazzana said. “He doesn't get too high on the highs or the low on the lows, which is amazing.”

“He’s the same guy every day,” Armstrong said. “Regardless of what the score is, whether it's a save situation, tie ballgame, up by five, down by five, he does the same routine every day.”

Moving to the closer role required Smith to adjust his routine, after he was previously deployed as a setup man, or in a high-leverage spot earlier in the game. That was a learning process, and now he feels better off.

The question now is how early Smith could enter in the postseason. Teams often turn to their closer earlier in the playoffs, and Vogt noted this week the Guardians could deploy different pitching strategies given that every out matters.

Fifteen of Smith’s appearances this season began in the eighth inning. Thirteen of his appearances were more than an inning. He’s proven capable of pitching in a variety of spots, and for more than one inning, which we saw against the White Sox last month.

Smith threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings on Sept. 15 and 1 1/3 scoreless innings on Sept. 16. In the latter, he entered for Erik Sabrowski in the eighth and worked out of a two-on, two-out jam to help the Guardians win, 6-3.

The Guardians will be glad to hand Smith the ball at any point. He’s ready for whatever lies ahead.

“I'm so excited for this series to start,” Smith said. “I'm so excited to see fans showing up and what these games are going to be like, because I know how much fun they can be. I'm excited for a lot of the guys who are in our clubhouse who haven't experienced that yet, and how much fun it is for them too.”