CLEVELAND, Ohio – A federal indictment accuses Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase of fixing pitches for gamblers.

The allegations filed in federal court in New York City specifically cite regular season games in 2023 and 2025.

Separately, cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer used data from baseball-reference.com to analyze his drastic failure during the 2024 postseason. The statistics showed the pitcher’s sharp decline defied nearly every statistical trend. Below are some key points from the original story.

Clase and teammate Luis Ortiz are scheduled to go on trial in federal court in New York City on May 4.

Federal indictment alleges pitch fixing

The indictment alleges Clase intentionally threw bad pitches or slower pitches in 2023 and 2025 in exchange for cash from gamblers, who made about $450,000 on bets. If convicted of the charges, which Clase denies, he could face up to 65 years in prison.

A dramatic and unexplained postseason collapse

Clase’s performance cratered in the 2024 postseason, where his ERA skyrocketed from a nearly untouchable 0.61 in the regular season to 9.00 in seven playoff games. He also surrendered three home runs in just eight postseason innings after giving up only two during the entire regular season.

Struggles weren’t just against elite opponents

While his performance against the top-scoring Yankees was particularly poor, the data shows Clase also faltered against the mediocre-hitting Detroit Tigers in the postseason. He also did considerably better against the American League’s top-hitting teams during the regular season than he did against both the Tigers and Yankees in the playoffs.

Statistics do not support fatigue as a cause

The data dismisses signs of fatigue as a reason for the collapse, as Clase was on a hot streak heading into the playoffs. He didn’t allow a run the entire month of September. His 74 regular-season appearances were also a normal workload for him, consistent with his three previous seasons.

First-pitch outcomes were not drastically different

One discrepancy appeared in how Clase performed after throwing a first-pitch ball. While he recovered nicely from 1-0 counts in September, those same situations in the postseason frequently led to hits. In the playoffs, after falling behind 1-0, Clase allowed five hits, including a double and a home run, in just 11 plate appearances.