Two relievers have quietly become a big part of why the Guardians’ bullpen is holding together right when the margin for error has vanished.
Craig Yoho and Tim Herrin were part of the group that tried to finish off Cleveland’s 3-0 loss to the Tigers on Aug. 13, the defeat that dropped the Guardians behind the Tigers and Rangers in the race for the American League’s final Wild Card spot. At the time, it looked like just another ugly night. In hindsight, it marked the start of a stretch that has helped pull Cleveland back to the front of that line.
Since that game, Herrin has posted a 0.82 ERA over 11 innings, while Yoho has turned in a 1.59 ERA across 11 1/3 innings. They may not be the loudest names in the bullpen, but they’ve given the Guardians exactly what they needed: steady outs in the middle innings, when every clean frame matters.
Herrin’s run stands out even more because of where his season was headed earlier. After being one of the most dominant lefties in baseball in 2024, he struggled enough last season that Cleveland sent him to Triple-A in July. He returned later in the year and pitched well in two short postseason outings, but the command problems showed up again at the end of May.
He’s settled things down since then. Over that 11-inning stretch, he’s allowed just walks. And even though his season-long walk rate is still dragged down by those early struggles, the underlying numbers still point to a pitcher whose stuff works: he ranks in the 90th percentile in expected batting average and the 91st percentile in whiff rate.
Yoho’s path has been a little different, but the result has been the same. He looked good in his first two appearances after Cleveland got him at the trade deadline, then got hit hard and allowed seven runs over his next two outings. Since then, he’s been much more stable, giving up just two runs in the span since, both against the Royals.
The raw quality of contact against him has been excellent, too. Yoho doesn’t have enough innings to qualify for the Baseball Savant leaderboards, but his average exit velocity allowed of 85.6 miles per hour and his 30.9% hard-hit rate would both sit among the league leaders.
When he’s locating and his stuff is working, he’s extremely tough to square up.
That showed up again Wednesday, when Herrin and Yoho combined for 2 2/3 scoreless innings to help cover for Tanner Bibee’s sluggish start and bridge the game to the back of the bullpen.
Neither pitcher is likely to be the one closing out a postseason win for the Guardians. But if Cleveland needs the first wave of relief in October, there’s a strong case that Stephen Vogt will lean on these two first. Their last month says they’ve earned that trust.
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Browns Star Denzel Ward Just Sent A Big Message About Guardians Future
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Guardians Add Another Cleveland Star At The Perfect Time
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Ward now pairs with future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce in that group, giving the Guardians another high-profile local connection as they continue building around the citys identity. Ward said he is grateful for the chance to contribute to the community in this new role, a small but notable reminder of how tightly Clevelands sports scene continues to overlap. [Read more 🡒]