Photo: Jason Miller / Stringer. illustration by Jake Underwood
CLEVELAND, OH – Major League Baseball announced the selections for the fourth annual All-MLB Teams presented by Arm & Hammer and OxiClean. RHP Emmanuel Clase was named to the First Team (Relief Pitcher), and 2B Andrés Giménez earned a Second Team nod at Second Base.
Photo: Getty Images
Emmanuel Clase is 24 years old and led the Majors with 42 saves, the fifth-highest single-season total in Cleveland(AL) history. He posted the second-lowest relief ERA (1.36) in the AL this year and now owns consecutive sub-1.40 ERA seasons, one of just four relievers in Major League history to do so. The others are Joe Nathan, Craig Krimbel, and Wade Davis. Emmanuel was victorious in 42 of 46 save chances (91%), including 25 straight conversions from May 14-Sept. 5. In addition to tying for the Major League lead in relief appearances (career-high 77), the 2022 AL All-Star became the first Cleveland reliever to lead the Majors in saves since 1995 (José Mesa). Clase didn’t miss a beat in the postseason, allowing just 1 hit over 6.0 shutout innings in 4 outings.
He is the second Cleveland player named to the All-MLB First Team, joining Shane Bieber, who was a member in 2020.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 08: Andres Gimenez #0 of the Cleveland Guardians throws out Jose Ramirez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians in the ninth inning of game two of the Wild Card Series at Progressive Field on October 08, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)Photo: Getty Images
Andrés Giménez is 24-year-old, and enjoyed a breakout season in 2022, posting the third-highest bWAR (7.4) in the AL behind Aaron Judge (10.7) and Shohei Ohtani (9.6), the sixth-highest in MLB overall. He notched career-bests in almost every offensive category for the year, batting .297 (146-for-491) with 26 2B, 17 HR, 69 RBI, 66 runs, and 20 SB in 146 games. He finished ninth in the AL in OPS (.837) and 10th in batting average. He also finished fifth in the league in defensive bWAR (2.4) and won his first Rawlings Gold Glove Award, leading MLB second basemen with 16 Defensive Runs Saved.
Historically, he posted the highest bWAR (7.4) by any MLB second basemen in their age 23-season (or younger) since Hall of Famer Eddie Collins (10.5) in 1910 for Philadelphia (AL), the third-highest overall in the modern era (also Collins in 1909).
The only Cleveland batter to post a higher bWAR in their age 23-or-younger campaign was Shoeless Joe Jackson’s 9.2 in 1911. He also earned his first All-Star Game selection and started the game in place of José Altuve, becoming the youngest Clevelander to start (23.319) an All-Star Game since Bob Feller in 1941 (22.248).
The All-MLB Teams are decided by voting from fans and a decorated panel of media members, broadcasters, former players, and other officials throughout the game.
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