Cleveland Guardians closer Cade Smith keeps shouldering a postseason workload that no pitcher in MLB history has ever matched.

Smith extended that stretch during Monday’s 7-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in ALCS Game 1, retiring all three batters he faced in the ninth inning to seal the Guardians’ fourth straight playoff win.

The streak began during the first 0-2 series comeback in franchise history vs. the Chicago White Sox in the ALDS.

MLB.com’s Sarah Langs took to X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday to highlight Smith’s historic postseason workload, crediting the Elias Sports Bureau for the research.

“The Guardians have played 19 postseason games since the start of 2024

Cade Smith has appeared in 18 of them

He’s the only pitcher in postseason history to appear in 18+ games in a 19-team-game span”

Smith has paired that historic workload with a 2.14 career postseason ERA, giving the Guardians consistent results across three October runs.

The 27-year-old’s run covers the last three Octobers. He pitched in nine of Cleveland’s 10 playoff games in 2024, all three games of the 2025 AL Wild Card Series and all six games this MLB postseason. The mark tracks how often he pitches, not a consecutive-appearance streak.

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The heavy usage hasn’t slowed him down one bit. Entering Tuesday’s Game 2, Smith owns a 2-0 record, 2.14 ERA and 31 strikeouts across 21 career postseason innings. This October, he’s allowed just one earned run over 7 2/3 innings with 11 strikeouts and a 0.39 WHIP.

That shouldn’t surprise anyone who watched his regular season. Smith earned his first All-Star nod in 2026, posting a 1.95 ERA, 107 strikeouts and 41 saves over 69 appearances. His saves total tied for the most in the majors.

Since his March 2024 debut, the right-hander has gone 20-7 with a 2.26 ERA and 314 strikeouts across 219 regular-season appearances, all in relief. He set the tone right away as a rookie, posting a 1.91 ERA and 103 strikeouts.

Cleveland leads the series 1-0 heading into Tuesday’s Game 2 at Tropicana Field, with Smith having appeared in all six postseason games this October.