It was a season to remember for the Cleveland Guardians.
In a year that preseason projections were not kind to them, the Guardians defied the odds, overcame the Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central, and clinched their first division title since 2018.
Their success was due in large part to the emergence of several young stars.
Andres Gimenez, Steven Kwan, Triston McKenzie, Oscar Gonzalez, and Emmanuel Clase helped guide the Guardians back to prominence in the AL Central.
Clase and Gimenez were each selected to the All-MLB first and second teams, respectively.
But Clase earned yet another impressive honor, being named the Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year.
42 saves and a 1.36 ERA. 🔥
Emmanuel Clase is the 2022 Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year! pic.twitter.com/iD65wAg5zM
— MLB (@MLB) December 6, 2022
Clase Earns More Hardware
Clase appeared in 77 games for the Guardians in 2022, posting a 1.36 ERA and a 0.73 WHIP while striking out 77 batters in 72.2 innings of work.
The young right-hander also converted 42 of his 46 save opportunities.
The 24-year-old was acquired from the Texas Rangers in exchange for Corey Kluber after the 2019 season.
So far, the move appears to have worked out just fine for the Guardians.
Clase surrendered just three home runs during the regular season, allowed just 11 earned runs and 43 hits, while holding opponents to just a .167 average.
Clase was also dominant during the postseason, appearing in four games and not allowing a run in six innings of work.
All of that was enough to earn him yet another important honor.
In the National League, New York Mets star closer Edwin Diaz earned Reliever of the Year honors.
NEXT: The Guardians Were Carried By 2 Star Rookies In 2022
