Emmanuel Clase is breaking bats and records at an almost equal pace. Cleveland’s closer with a devilish cut fastball not seen since Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera’s dominant days with the New York Yankees is having a season to remember.

As the Cleveland Guardians get closer to clinching their second AL Central title in three years, closer Emmanuel Clase is inching toward MLB history. Clase, who leads the league in saves with 45, just needs to stay ahead of St.

For the early part of his career, Jose Mesa was a starter. He was big, strong and threw hard. He was also average at best. In 1994 Phil Regan, the Indians’ pitching coach, and manager Mike Hargrove convinced Mesa to go to the bullpen.