The Cleveland Guardians are off to a solid 4-2 start to the 2024 MLB season in an effort to take over the wide-open AL Central.
It has been a total team effort so far, as the offense has put up 38 runs in six games, but the efforts of one starting pitcher have been a major factor in this hot start.
Hayden Grove of Cleveland.com posted on Twitter about just how dominant Shane Bieber has been thus far, posting 12 scoreless innings with only ten hits and one walk allowed, while compiling an impressive 20 strikeouts over two games.
Shane Bieber through 2 starts:
12 IP – 0 ER – 10 H – 20 Ks – 1 BB#Guardians
— Hayden Grove (@H_Grove) April 3, 2024
The 2020 Cy Young Award winner is looking to rebound from a bit of a down year in 2023, where he missed some time due to injury and went just 6-6 with a 3.80 ERA over 21 starts.
Health will be paramount for Bieber this season, as over his first six seasons, he surpassed the 200-inning mark twice but failed to go over 130 innings in the other four (granted, one was a COVID season and one was his rookie year).
Bieber shut down two lackluster offenses in the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics so far and will get another poor offense in his third start when he takes on the Chicago White Sox on Monday.
In order for Cleveland to sustain this success, the team will need its other starting pitchers to start taking after Bieber, as Logan Allen, Triston McKenzie, Tanner Bibee, and Carlos Carrasco all struggled in their first starts.
The Detroit Tigers are off to a hot 4-0 start as well, and the AL Central is beginning to look like it will be a fun battle all season.
NEXT: Analyst Notes Positive Development With Young Guardians Player
