CLEVELAND — Emmanuel Clase realizes he can’t please everyone or be flawless every time he takes the mound.
He’s not a pitching machine.
“A couple of days ago I was thinking, ‘Hey, I am human,'” Cleveland’s All-Star closer said Saturday through interpreter Agustin Rivero. “I can make mistakes.”
Lately, he’s made too many.
Baseball’s most dominant reliever last season, Clase’s struggles in the first weeks of this season have seemingly alarmed everyone but the 27-year-old and his teammates. He’s set a high bar for himself but he’s falling short of it so far.
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While he’s 2-0 with a save, Clase has given up six runs and 14 hits in seven appearances. On Saturday night, he did nothing to silence the whispers about his slow start by allowing four straight singles to the Kansas City Royals in the ninth inning before finishing off a 6-3 win — Cleveland’s fifth straight.
“He’s just leaving pitches over the middle right now,” said Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, who isn’t exactly sure what’s wrong with Clase. “It’s too early to tell. Emmanuel just needs to get his confidence back.”
Last year, Clase was automatic. He gave up just five earned runs in 74 games over 74 1/3 innings, led the American League in saves (47) for the third straight season, had a miniscule 0.61 ERA (third lowest in MLB history) and finished third in Cy Young voting.
He was virtually unhittable for six months. Then came October.
Clase wasn’t himself in the postseason, first allowing a three-run homer in the ninth inning to Detroit’s Kerry Carpenter in a loss in the Division Series opener.
That was followed by New York’s Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton connecting for back-to-back homers off Clase in Game 3 of the ALCS, a game the Guardians rallied to win in extras. The right-hander then gave up two runs in the ninth in Game 4 and finished the series with a 15.43 ERA in three outings against the Yankees.
When the Guardians needed him most, Clase collapsed, which is why his slow start in 2025 has raised some eyebrows.
Not Vogt’s. He remains confident and supportive of his closer.
“I mean, when you’re perfect for a whole season last year and then you have a couple games where you give up runs, all of a sudden now people are asking about you,” Vogt said before the game. “We talk about all the time with the bullpen guys, you didn’t get any questions about the bullpen last night, right, because we don’t talk about ’em when they do their job.
“So Clase, it’s keep being you. We’re always working on things to get better. We’re always trying to find different ways to be successful, but just be Emmanuel and go pitch.”
Clase said he didn’t dwell on last year’s stunning finish and quickly turned the page.
“I started working out in December and for me that was a new year,” he said. “I’ve been moving forward ever since.”
His velocity has been normal, and Clase’s other metrics all seem in line with past performances. So what’s the problem?
“My body feels good,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been able to compete, obviously not getting the results that we wanted, but it is a blend of maybe not being too used to pitching in the cold like previous years. I feel like I’m going to continue doing my best and trying to get better and better every day.”
While he warms up, Clase is heartened by the faith his teammates have shown. To them, he’s still the best in the business.
“It’s really special,” he said of the support. “They know me. They see my preparation. It’s very important to hear the people that know you so well that see you pitching every day. I appreciate them saying that.”
