The New Face of the Cleveland Guardians Rotation
GOODYEAR, Arizona, Feb. 28, 2025 — When the Cleveland Guardians take the field on Opening Day on March 27, it will mark a significant change for the team. For the first time since 2018, somebody other than Shane Bieber will be taking the ball. That honor will likely fall to Tanner Bibee, who moves to the front of the rotation in just his third big league season. "I love Tanner’s confidence and demeanor on the mound," said Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, while noting that an official Opening Day starter had not yet been named. "He proved to be one of the best starters in the league last year. He stabilized our rotation and gave us a chance to win every time out."
Bibee’s Impressive 2024 Season
The 26-year-old Bibee was the cornerstone of the Guardians’ pitching staff in 2024, pitching to a 3.47 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and an impressive 187/40 K/BB ratio in 173.2 innings. Despite numerous injuries to the rotation last year, Bibee was the only starter on the team who threw enough innings to qualify for MLB leaderboards and was one of only two starters, along with Ben Lively, to pitch more than 104 MLB innings. The team has invested heavily in building the depth of the rotation, but Bibee himself is focused on establishing himself as the top pitcher.
Adding a Sinker to His Arsenal
A significant part of Bibee’s plan to solidify his position atop the rotation is the addition of a sinker to his pitch mix. This pitch, which Bibee began working on towards the end of last season, was used in the final two starts of the year. The sinker was thrown at 94.1 mph, essentially the same velocity as his four-seamer, with 14.2 inches of horizontal movement. This velocity and movement profile will allow Bibee to keep hitters off balance by mixing his fastballs. "A lot of hitters only sit two pitches," Bibee explained this week at spring training. "I feel like [righties] usually sit fastball and spin off of me because I throw a lot of spin. This, I think, is a way of preventing them from leaning over the plate. As soon as I see them leaning over the plate, I can throw the sinker middle, and it will blow their hands up."
Refining His Secondary Pitches
Another weapon for Bibee in 2024 was a new slider, or what some pitch classification systems referred to as a cutter. Bibee clarified that the cutter was actually his older slider, which had a different movement pattern last year. The new slider, with the same velocity as the 2023 version but with over two inches more horizontal movement and nearly three inches less vertical drop, allowed him to be more confident throwing it in the zone. This resulted in increased zone and strike rates, as well as a 3% increase in swinging strike rate against righties. The pitch also had better Ideal Contact Rate (ICR) and Home Run to Fly Ball (HR/FB) rates against righties. Bibee added the new slider to help with big spin and lefties, which proved effective as the season progressed.
Addressing Left-handed Hitters
While Bibee’s slider and cutter were effective, he still saw room for improvement against left-handed hitters. In 2024, he allowed a .263/.320/.460 slash line to lefties, a significant improvement from 2023’s .202/.273/.273. To enhance his performance against lefties, Bibee is focusing on the location of his changeup, which he throws 22% of the time to lefties. In 2024, he pounded the zone with the pitch, achieving an above-average swinging strike rate but allowing a .255 batting average. Bibee aims to keep the changeup lower, as he noted, "Definitely [wanna keep it] lower; I’m not trying to go up with it. I feel like the only time I do get damage on that pitch, or not damage but hits, is when it ends up up-and-away to a lefty because they see it for a super long time."
Preparing for a Breakout Season
Bibee’s mechanical tweaks during the offseason are aimed at improving his overall health and pitch movement. While there was no indication that he was pitching through any pain or discomfort last year, Bibee acknowledged that his shoulder was banged up for much of the season. "I’m just making tweaks mechanically," he said after a bullpen session during the second week of spring camp. "My shoulder was banged up most of the year last year, so I’m trying to get through cleaner so it doesn’t necessarily hurt. It’s gonna be interesting to see how the ball comes out of the hand, how it plays with the cutter and the slider." These adjustments could lead to more movement on his secondary pitches, further solidifying his position as one of the top prospects in fantasy baseball. As it stands, the 26-year-old is considered one of the safer SP2 picks and is on the verge of taking his production to the next level. Fans and fantasy players alike will be watching closely as Bibee prepares for what could be a breakout season.
