Cleveland Guardians closer Cade Smith, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Baseball takes center stage as the calendar ticks toward summer, and the early returns are in for MLB teams with dreams of playing deep into the fall. The Cleveland Guardians are one of those teams passing with flying colors.
Behind one of the stronger pitching rotations in the majors, the Guardians sit at 32-24 and have opened up a 3.5-game lead in the American League Central through the first third of the season. A key cog in that staff has been the play of closer Cade Smith.
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Smith is leading all of MLB with 18 saves so far in 2026, which is already a career high. The 27-year-old Canadian has finished 23 of his 25 appearances on the season, allowing only one home run and five walks in 25.2 innings pitched.
His most recent appearance on Sunday against the Phillies in Philadelphia ended with a strikeout to close out the 3-1 victory.
In his third year in the majors, Smith has been dominant in his role as full-time closer with the Guardians. It’s a role he took over part of the way through last season after the team lost Emmanuel Clase, and Smith performed so well (converting 13 of 17 save opportunities with a 2.79 ERA) that Cleveland stuck with him in 2026.
Smith, who contemplated a career as an eye surgeon after majoring in biology at the University of Hawaii, has earned the trust of the Guardians’ coaching staff.
“The dude’s not afraid to operate on someone’s eye,” manager Stephen Vogt told MLB.com in March. “He’s probably not going to be afraid of getting three outs at the end of a game.”
Despite now being entrenched in his role, Smith said he recognizes the gift it is to be called a MLB closer.
“I’m not taking it for granted that I’m solidified on the team,” Smith told MLB.com. “… I’m happy to step up and happy to go out and perform, knowing that the work that I’ve done has prepared me for that, and also understanding that it’s an honor to actually be asked to pitch in those situations.”
Smith’s steady demeanor is the perfect temperament for a closer who is frequently asked to perform in high-pressure situations. That steadiness, he said, is rooted in his firm foundation of faith in Christ.
“The first and most important thing is that I’m confident and certain that my identity is not based in baseball,” he said in an interview with Guardians TV last year. “My identity is based in my faith, and that’s something that can’t be taken from me and it can’t be shaped by the highs and lows of this game, whether I go out and perform or whether I fail, because I am going to fail.”
Each time he takes the field, Smith carries a piece of God’s Word with him. Last season while signing autographs for fans before a game at Progressive Field in Cleveland, he asked them about the Bible verse inscribed on his glove, 1 Corinthians 6:11.
“Does anyone know this verse off the top of their head?” Smith asked. “This is one of my favorite verses, because basically (verses) nine and 10 are a statement of universal condemnation. … It means everyone sins. No one’s good enough. You’re not getting to Heaven on your own. Verse 11 starts, ‘and that’s what you guys were, but you were washed, justified and sanctified by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.’
“Regardless of how any outing goes — up or down, if I succeed or I struggle or I do really bad — I know that I’m not actually a pitcher. I’m washed. I’m justified. I’m sanctified. And those are things that no one can take from me.”
Smith reiterated the message of 1 Corinthians 6:11 during an on-field interview following a game later in the season.
“The absolute biggest thing for me is my faith,” he said, “because I know who I am in Jesus Christ. I know my relationship with Him. I’m justified, washed and sanctified, and so what I do on the baseball field doesn’t affect that.”
Smith may be embracing and thriving in his new role as Guardians closer, but he wants everyone to know it’s a role he plays and not an identity he carries. His identity is and always will be as a beloved child in the eyes of his Heavenly Father.
With his identity secure in Christ, Smith will seek to continue to perform at an All-Star level for his teammates when they need him most. The Guardians’ next contest comes against the Washington Nationals (28-27) at home on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m. ET.
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