The Clase File
Team: Cleveland Guardians
Height: 6-2
Weight: 206
Birthday: 3/18/1998
Fastball Velo: 100 mph
College: N/A
Draft: N/A
Contract: Signed a 5-year, $20 million deal prior to the 2022 season
WAG: N/A
Children: N/A
Betting Odds: +900 to lead the league in saves
Record/Accomplishments:
- One All-Star selection, 2022
- One All-MLB First Team selection, 2022
- Led MLB in saves, 2022
- Won the Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year award, 2022
Emmanuel Clase is absurdly unique
The best pitchers in baseball all have their “thing.” Jacob deGrom saw his fastball increase in velocity with each year of his Major League Career. Sandy Alcántara is the best at going deep into games. Devin Williams’ changeup spins with 200 more RPMs than the next highest changeup.
Emmanuel Clase throws a 100 mph cutter.
Unsurprisingly, it separates itself as one of the sport’s premier pitches, and has rendered him the second-best relief pitcher in baseball. When batter’s have to prepare not only for a typical four-seamer, but a triple-digit one, and another with movement, they’re pretty easy to overpower or find off-balance. Oh, he also throws a 92 mph slider with more horizontal and vertical break than similarly-thrown breakers.
His arsenal sets him apart, making him both unique and uniquely positioned to dominate the ninth inning.
Not too shabby of a return for a pitcher that threw a single inning for the Texas Rangers, who made the swap with playoff intentions.
Clase has battled through a PED suspension and an injury to his throwing shoulder on his way to becoming one of the league’s elite. With a recipe as simple as Clase’s, throw harder than everyone else then make it move, it was probably silly for us to doubt him at any point during his journey.
From “player to be named later” to an exciting prospect to an All-Star, Clase has proven himself viable as the ninth inning man for a playoff team. Unfortunately for opposing batters, it looks like he’s here to stay.