Far from pressure of closing duties, Clase finds peace on secluded ranch

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Far away from the intensity of baseball, from the flames depicted on the scoreboard, from the mound where he delivers those triple-digit heaters, from the spotlight of being one of the most accomplished closers in Major League Baseball, Emmanuel Clase finds quiet and serenity on his Dominican Republic ranch.

There, on his sprawling, safe and secluded property in R¨ªo San Juan, the Guardians¡¯ all-time saves leader quietly raises chickens, roosters, cows and horses. He gets satisfaction from nursing them and watching them grow. He finds the life of a cattleman and wrangler to be a welcomed respite from those high-charged ninth-inning assignments.

¡°For me, it¡¯s a perfect environment,¡± he says through interpreter Agustin Rivero. ¡°It¡¯s really removed from everybody. You don¡¯t see that many cars going around. And I have a big community of people [in that area] that know me from a long time ago. I can go train, running along the beach or up the hill, and everybody supports me there.¡±

The 26-year-old Clase (yes, he¡¯s a month from his 27th birthday and already the franchise saves leader, with 157) must have especially appreciated the support, peace and calm after an unexpectedly volatile postseason.

It¡¯s the nature of his role in this brutal and high-stakes business that some people will probably remember Clase¡¯s 2024 more for the late-inning October eruptions at his expense -- the three-run homer he served up to Kerry Carpenter that put the Tigers ahead in Game 2 of the ALDS, the back-to-back blasts he surrendered to Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton when unsuccessfully trying to nail down a four-out save in Game 3 of the ALCS, and the go-ahead RBI single he gave up to Gleyber Torres in Game 4 of that same series -- than the AL Reliever of the Year season that preceded them.

¡°It took a couple of weeks just to unplug and think about everything that had happened,¡± Clase says. ¡°But then that allowed me to have the energy to get back after it and keep preparing.¡±

Clase¡¯s bizarre blowups (Carpenter¡¯s homer was the first three-run shot given up by Clase in his entire career) were some of several factors that stood in the way of the Guardians pulling off what would have been an incredible upset of the Yankees on the path to an AL pennant.

But of course, a club with a young and modestly priced roster never would have been in that position in the first place if not for Clase¡¯s historic performance nailing down late leads.

With a 0.61 ERA and 0.66 WHIP in the regular season, Clase had joined Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley (1990 A¡¯s) as the only relievers with at least 30 appearances and marks below 0.70 in both of those key categories in a season. The numbers were all the more impressive considering Clase was one of only 13 full-time relievers to log at least 74 innings last year.

We just saw Billy Wagner reach the Hall of Fame despite an unsightly 10.03 ERA in 14 career postseason appearances, so it stands to reason that Clase can craft a legacy that rises well above any small-sample struggles, even if they just so happen to transpire on the game¡¯s biggest stage. But in the 2025 season, it will be fascinating to witness whether Clase can bounce right back from last fall¡¯s foibles while also navigating any potential lag effects from the extra use in a deep run (not to mention his average of 72 innings pitched over the last four regular seasons).

For this, Clase relies on his preparation and his visualization.

¡°You¡¯re a player, not a robot,¡± he says. ¡°Some things are going to get off and not be right. So I have the mindset to always keep improving and stay positive.¡±

Having a 99.5 mph cutter sure helps. That¡¯s the special weapon Cleveland targeted when identifying Clase as a relief prospect/project worthy of dealing two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber to the Rangers in the winter before the 2020 season. It was no small decision, as Kluber, at his peak, was a pitcher whose dominance had conjured up memories in Cleveland of another ace right-hander named Bob Feller.

Now, Clase summons the spirit of the Iowa-born Feller in a different way, retiring to his roots on the farm when he¡¯s not befuddling batters. And after following the chaos of October with the calm of his ranch life, Clase aims to extinguish the opposition and electrify the crowd once again.

¡°Being in that environment, the countryside, allows me to relax and to get perspective on things,¡± he says. ¡°That¡¯s really key for my preparation.¡±