The Cleveland Guardians' bullpen has carried the team to October before, and they're relying on that group to do it again.
The Cleveland Guardians are right in the thick of the playoff race and are in position to either win the American League Central or grab one of the final playoff spots via the Wild Card.
That said, the team still has strengths and weaknesses, and one part of this roster that will never be a clear-cut strength is its ability to outscore opponents in overwhelming fashion.
Of course, this puts even more pressure on the pitching staff to limit their damage.
Right now, Cleveland’s bullpen is doing just that, and its continued success could end up being what makes or breaks the team’s playoff hopes.
Heading into Tuesday night’s matchup against the White Sox, Cleveland had the second-best bullpen in baseball in September when looking at earned runs allowed, with a 2.54 ERA.
On top of that, the Guardians' reliever core has racked up 76 strikeouts this month, which is the most in baseball.
These numbers aren’t coming in a small sample size, either. Cleveland’s bullpen has also covered 60.1 innings since the start of the month, which is the second-most
The relievers are pitching a lot, and for the most part, are doing their job.
Jul 23, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Cade Smith (36) throws a pitch during the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesThe bullpen's importance becomes even clearer when you consider Cleveland’s 15-9 record since August 20th, which is the second-best in the American League.
It hasn’t been Cleveland’s offense or the starting rotation as a whole that has been at the center of that push; it’s been the bullpen.
During the team’s MLB-best hot stretch, the Guardians have a team 103 wRC+ (19th), and the rotation has a 4.87 ERA (22nd). However, the bullpen has the league-leading ERA during that run.
The bullpen arms that have really stepped up for Cleveland since the end of August are Hunter Gaddis (0ER/12.0IP), Tim Herring (1ER/9.2IP), Erik Sabrwoski (2ER/8.2IP), Craig Yoho (1.59ER/11.1 IP), and Cade Smith (2ER/10.0IP)
Even though it was the bullpen that imploded during Monday night’s loss to the White Sox, this rough night for the relievers only furthers the point; if the bullpen isn’t as sharp as it’s been over the last three weeks, the Guardians could find themselves in a difficult position to win games.
Asking a bullpen to continue at this pace isn’t necessarily a fair task.
That said, considering where the Guardians are in the postseason race and some of the other inconsistencies with the roster, the bullpen’s continued dominance might be one of Cleveland’s few paths to October.
