Cleveland Guardians’ Erik Sabrowski enjoys emotional return to Canada
cleveland guardians reliever Erik Sabrowski turned a corner in the Toronto clubhouse Friday night and pointed playfully at the white Maple Leaf on a teammate’s coffee cup. The Edmonton native is back in Canada for the first time in nearly a decade, and the trip has carried extra weight for cleveland guardians fans watching the left-hander settle into a key role. He said the moment felt different, even if the job on the mound stayed the same.
Sabrowski delivers in Toronto
Sabrowski made that return count at Rogers Centre, earning a hold with a clean eighth inning in the 8-6 win over the Blue Jays. He struck out one batter in the inning and later raised his arms after getting Daulton Varsho to line out and end the frame.
The outing was his first appearance in Toronto and came with about 20 friends and family members in the stands for the weekend series. It also marked another notable step in a season that has seen the cleveland guardians reliever become a reliable late-game option. Sabrowski now has 10 holds, which leads the majors.
His season line has been sharp: a 2. 84 ERA, a 0. 87 WHIP and 20 strikeouts against five walks over 12. 2 innings in 14 appearances. No one else is particularly close in the holds race, with the Reds’ Tony Santillan and the Royals’ Matt Strahm tied for second at seven apiece.
“A little more emotional being here”
Sabrowski said hearing the Canadian anthem before the game made the night stand out even more. “I grew up watching tons of games on TV here and so just the emotions of that, right? How did I get here? I’m on the field now, ” he said. “But it’s still the same job, same game, but a little more emotional. ” He added that he was “a little more amped up just being in Canada. ”
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said the moment carried a special feel inside the team as well. “It’s fun to watch Erik and Cade throwing to Bo in Toronto, it’s just a pretty cool thing, ” Vogt said. “We’ve had a lot of Canadians on our team since I’ve been here, and it’s just a fun nugget. ” Bo Naylor of Mississauga, Ontario, was behind the plate, while Vancouver native Cade Smith closed out the victory.
From Edmonton to the majors
Sabrowski’s path has been long and stops-heavy. He played both ways for the Edmonton Prospects in the Western Canadian Baseball League in 2017, then was selected in the 14th round of the MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres. He missed the 2019 season after Tommy John surgery and needed the procedure again in the fall of 2021.
The cleveland guardians added him in the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft that year, and he spent the 2023 season at Double-A Akron before reaching the majors in September 2024. He earned his first major-league save that month and posted a 1. 69 ERA over five postseason games, striking out eight and allowing only five hits.
What comes next for Cleveland
Vogt called him “a dominant left-handed reliever” and said Sabrowski has “one of the best fastballs in the league” along with two strong breaking balls. For now, the cleveland guardians are getting exactly what they need: a pitcher who is comfortable in big spots and, in Toronto, clearly energized by the setting. His return to Canada has added emotion to the series, and the cleveland guardians will keep leaning on Sabrowski as the season moves forward.
