The starting rotation has carried this Cleveland Guardians team early in the season. The excellent pitching has been a huge factor to this team being in first place in the AL Central.
The Guardians have been getting outstanding outings from Parker Messick, as he looks like an ace-type pitcher right now. However, he’s not the only one having success on the mound right now.
Recently, former big leaguer Mark DeRosa revealed who he believes is the X-factor of this rotation.
“The wildcard and X-factor to this rotation is Tanner Bibee. Tanner Bibee’s had two terrible starts against Atlanta and Washington. 15 earned runs in 7 2/3, and it skewed his numbers,” DeRosa said.
The @CleGuardians are doing it, again.
Detective DeRo takes a look at the AL Central leaders, following their 33-25 start to the season 🕵️ pic.twitter.com/GsiuvLwO6R
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) May 28, 2026
On paper, it has been a rough go for Bibee early in the season. Through 12 starts, Bibee is 0-7 with a 4.57 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and a 55/21 K/BB ratio. DeRosa is right, Bibee would have better numbers on paper if he didn’t have a couple of blow-up outings.
In his most recent start, Bibee was shelled for seven earned runs across three innings of work against the Nationals. Five days before that, Bibee threw eight innings, allowing one earned run in what ended up being a victory over the Detroit Tigers. The right-hander has mostly been solid, but doesn’t get the run support when he does pitch well.
The former fifth-round pick started his career with an excellent rookie campaign. He posted a 2.98 ERA with 141 strikeouts during 25 starts in 2023. His overall numbers have regressed every season since then, with the 2026 season being his worst to date.
The right-hander is certainly better than his 0-7 record right now. DeRosa is right, Bibee could be an X-factor for this rotation if he can start getting some luck on his side. Over his last five starts, Bibee has thrown three quality starts, but has zero wins to his name. The Guardians have lost all of those starts outside of the win in Detroit, where Bibee threw eight innings.
Everyone is going to have bad starts that will inflate their overall numbers. The stats really don’t tell the true story here with Bibee.
He could very well be a top dog in the rotation if the Guardians’ offense starts helping him out.
NEXT: Brayan Rocchio Is Quietly Evolving Into One Of AL’s Best Hitters
