Two years ago, in 2024, Tanner Bibee was seen as one of the best up-and-coming pitchers in the American League. His value to the Cleveland Guardians was so high that they decided to sign him to a five-year extension before the start of the 2025 campaign.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly when things started to go wrong for the righty. He posted a 4.24 ERA in 2025, and went 5-15 with a 4.36 mark in 2026.
His ERA and home run rate have been trending in the wrong direction since making his MLB debut in 2023. He surrendered 29 long balls this season alone, and that problem limits his ceiling.
Bibee wasn’t in top form this year, and his only postseason appearance, against the Chicago White Sox in the American League Division Series, yielded two runs while getting just one out. He had issues throwing strikes, afraid of leaving a pitch in the middle.
Fate, however, might hand Bibee another chance to show what he’s capable of. The Guardians are down 3-2 in the AL Championship Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, and they need to cover nine innings in Game 6 on Monday.
Shawn Armstrong will start, but who comes after him is anyone’s guess. It might just be Bibee, and Cleveland.com’s Joe Noga says it may be a redemption opportunity for him.
“Bibee has appeared just once this postseason, recording one out while allowing two runs in Game 4 of the ALDS against Chicago. Vogt described Bibee as a bulk relief option, someone capable of providing length if a game stretches into extra innings. But with Cleveland facing elimination and its pitching staff stretched thin, perhaps it’s time to give Bibee something more than an emergency assignment. What better opportunity for redemption than taking the ball with the season on the line?” Noga wrote.
Armstrong getting the first inning against the Rays’ top three offensive players (Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda, and Junior Caminero) would allow Bibee to enter without so much pressure, getting into a groove and possibly giving the Guardians two or three quality innings without having to face those three hitters more than once before turning to guys such as Erik Sabrowski and Hunter Gaddis.
It is a good plan, on paper at least. It’s important to really assess Bibee’s mental state after being bypassed during the entire postseason, though. His confidence may be at an all-time low, and that could derail his outing and the Guardians’ season.
However, if there’s a chance for him to bounce back, it just might be this one.
NEXT: Guardians Announce Starting Lineup For Game 6 Of ALCS
