Emmanuel Clase #48 of the Cleveland Indians (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Could Cleveland Indians closer Emmanuel Clase still be the Rookie of the Year?
The Cleveland Indians acquired Emmanuel Clase with 21 games of major league experience under his belt. By MLB rules, that means that Clase is still considered to have rookie status this season. While there was a definite rough patch for Clase, he’s still among those being considered for the American League Rookie of the Year.
The year began for Clase with a bit of uncertainty. He was undoubtedly a strong pitcher with blazing speed, but coming off a suspension left questions on if he could jump back into that type of production.