This story was excerpted from Tim Stebbins¡¯ Guardians Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
CLEVELAND -- The Guardians fortified their bullpen over the offseason, on the heels of its dominant 2024 season, by signing Paul Sewald and Jakob Junis to one-year deals. In the first few weeks of the ¡®25 campaign, the right-handers have proven to be savvy additions.
Sewald and Junis have emerged as key contributors to manager Stephen Vogt¡¯s bullpen as experienced veterans who are capable of pitching in a variety of situations. Entering Wednesday's game against the Orioles, Sewald is tied with Cade Smith for the team lead in appearances (nine), with Junis closely behind (eight).
Sewald has recorded a 3.38 ERA, allowing three earned runs on six hits over eight innings, with one walk and 11 strikeouts. Junis has thrown eight scoreless innings while scattering six hits and one walk with seven strikeouts.
The Guardians¡¯ bullpen was a driving force behind their run to the ALCS last fall, when the group¡¯s 2.57 ERA led the Majors. Emmanuel Clase, Hunter Gaddis, Smith and Tim Herrin each made at least 70 appearances. While they remain key cogs to the staff, Sewald and Junis have deepened it and given Vogt additional options in the middle and late innings.
Cleveland¡¯s bullpen collectively is off to another strong start, ranking fourth in the Majors with a 2.58 ERA.
¡°Paul gives us another leverage late-inning pitcher with experience in doing that as a closer,¡± Vogt said. ¡°And with Junis, the versatility of being able to pitch leverage and length [is valuable]. Their skill in itself adds so much to the bullpen, but the people [do] as well.¡±
Sewald, who¡¯s in his ninth Major League season, has 85 career saves on his resume and won the World Series with the D-backs in 2023. The 34-year-old has pitched in the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and 10th innings for Cleveland. He recorded a save in the 10th of the Guardians¡¯ 8-7 win over the Royals on Opening Day.
The Guardians value the experience Sewald brings on the mound, as someone who¡¯s proven in late-game situations, as well as his ability to rub off on younger members of the bullpen.
¡°Paul Sewald is a leader,¡± Vogt said. ¡°He's been through a lot of different things. He knows his routine. For a young bullpen, being able to have Paul Sewald show by example what it looks like to be a successful reliever is huge.¡±
Junis is in his ninth big league season, during which he¡¯s made 200 appearances, including 116 starts. Vogt recalled how one of the first things the 32-year-old expressed to him after signing with the Guardians on Feb. 16 was a willingness to contribute however he is needed.
Junis has pitched in the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth innings and he¡¯s capable of going multiple frames.
¡°He's just a great person,¡± Vogt said. ¡°He loves his family and he loves to pitch, and he just wants the ball. ¡ To have those two guys amongst our young bullpen, it's huge.¡±