January 8, 2026

Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Cade Smith has been one of the sport's most dominant setup pitchers, making him a must-start option in saves+holds leagues since his debut season in 2024. However, in standard rotisserie leagues, Smith was not as valuable despite posting a dominant 2.42 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP from 2024 through 2025. Pitching in the same bullpen with Emmanuel Clase did not afford him many save opportunities. However, this changed in the second half of the 2025 campaign, when Clase was put on leave amid an investigation into fixing games, which opened the ninth-inning role for Smith. The 26-year-old did not disappoint, tallying 13 saves over his last 24 1/3 innings with a 34:1 K:BB, 2.96 ERA, and a sparkling 0.66 WHIP. Last season, he finished the season, sitting in the 98th percentile in xERA and 97th percentile in K% and barrel rate. He threw his four-seamer just under 70.0% of the time and was highly effective, generating a .241 xWOBA and a 32.2% whiff rate. Given that he faces no competition for the ninth-inning role, Smith possesses top-3 RP upside in standard leagues and is worth selecting as the first reliever in drafts despite being selected as the No. 5 RP in current NFBC drafts (46.41 ADP). Smith carries the same 40+ save upside Clase did, with even higher strikeout potential.--Andy Smith