The Cleveland Guardians are enjoying a week off to rest and recover after earning a bye in the Wild Card round in the MLB Playoffs to go along with their third straight American League Central Division title.

One thing is safe to say about the Guardians' regular season: they wouldn’t be at this point in the year without their All-Star closer, Cade Smith.

In his first full season as Cleveland’s go-to ninth-inning arm, Cade not only filled that role but also elevated how he’s pitching in past seasons, and that included one of the strongest finishes by any pitcher in baseball.

From the start of the season until the end, Cade only got better, and he got recognition for his September performance, earning American League Reliever of the Month on Tuesday afternoon.

This marks the second time Smith has won this same award during the 2026 campaign (May) and the third time during his career (September 2025). Being a two-time reliever of the month this season, Smith has set himself up nicely for the ultimate award: Reliever of the Year.

Looking a little bit deeper at the stats, Cade pitched 13 innings over 11 games, didn’t allow a single run, and racked up six saves during Cleveland’s final postseason push.

It’s not just the numbers themselves, though; they show just how impressive a month this was for Cade.

Manager Stephen Vogt turned to his closer for three multi-inning saves. It was also Smith who was on the mound when the Guardians clinched both their spot in the postseason and the AL Central crown.

Vogt said toward the end of the month that something that has made Cade so special all year long has been how he’s taken the ball in any situation, and not skip a beat with his

Thanks to a stellar September, Smith wrapped up the regular season with a 1.95 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP, including a 34.5 percent whiff rate (97th percentile) and a strikeout rate of 36.3 percent (99th percentile). By the time the season finished, Smith was tied for the most saves in baseball with 41.

Cade was a key reason the Guardians got the playoff and won their division. It’s not being dramatic to say that how well Smith pitches in October could determine just how far Cleveland ultimately goes in October.

The Guardians had a light team workout on Tuesday and will ramp up their preparation on Wednesday with a full-team workout followed by a simulated game at Progressive Field.

Cleveland awaits the winner of the Wild Card series between the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros, whom it’ll play in the American League Division Series starting on Saturday at 1:00 pm.