May 31, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase (48) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals at Progressive Field. Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Guardians’ Emmanuel Clase Named American League Reliever Of The Month

Originally posted on Cleveland Guardians on SI | Last updated Jun 3, 2024 3:43 PM ET

The Cleveland Guardians’ bullpen has been one of the premier groups in all of baseball so far this season, leading Major League Baseball with a 2.42 ERA.

Cleveland’s two-time reigning All-Star closer has led the way for the unit this season, and he has now garnered another honor.

On Monday, MLB announced that Emmanuel Clase has been named the American League Reliever of the Month for the month of May.

The 26-year-old made 13 relief appearances out of the Guardians’ bullpen this past month, pitching 13 innings. He went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA, 14 strikeouts, one walk, and nine saves in 10 opportunities. Additionally, Clase surrendered just four hits and one unearned run in May.

So far this year, he leads MLB relief pitchers with a 0.31 ERA in 29.1 innings of work.

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Clase also leads the AL with 18 saves, which rank second in MLB, and is tied for the AL lead with 30 appearances this season. He has tallied 29 strikeouts to just two walks, held opposing hitters to a .160 batting average, and thrown 70.3% of his pitches for strikes.

The Rio San Juan, Dominican Republic native has arguably been MLB’s best closer over the past two-plus seasons. His 104 saves since the 2022 season are 24 more than any other Major League pitcher, and he has been named to the All-MLB Team twice (2022 First Team, 2023 Second Team).

Up next, Clase and the Guardians will look to extend their AL Central lead when they face the Kansas City Royals in a three-game home series, which is set to begin on Tuesday night at 6:40 p.m.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Guardians on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: