Stephen Vogt has never been a manager who hides behind careful language when something goes wrong. Monday was no exception.
After Tanner Bibee lasted just three innings against the Washington Nationals, allowing eight hits, five home runs, and seven earned runs in a 10-2 loss at Progressive Field, Vogt met with reporters about what he saw from his starting pitcher in one of the worst outings of Bibee’s career.
“It was a tough one. Just a lot of mistakes over the middle. Didn’t really feel like he had much, you know? The fastball had some life at times and other times it didn’t. Just really, I thought it was a lack of execution; we just haven’t seen that from Tanner,” Vogt said.
#Guardians manager Stephen Vogt on the outing from Tanner Bibee against the Nationals:
"It was a tough one. Just a lot of mistakes over the middle. Didn't really feel like he had much, you know? The fastball had some life at times… and other times it didn't. Just really, I…
— Cade Cracas (@CracasCade) May 26, 2026
The numbers from Monday’s outing were difficult to look at from any angle. Bibee allowed eight hits and seven earned runs across three innings, striking out three without issuing a walk, and the five home runs he surrendered tied a franchise record for home runs allowed by a single Cleveland pitcher in one game.
Bibee’s fastball is the pitch that sets up everything else in his arsenal. When he is locating it on both sides of the plate, his secondary pitches make life difficult for hitters on every count. When the fastball is flat or lacks its typical velocity and movement, everything else in his repertoire becomes easier to identify and harder to trust.
There are factors worth considering in understanding how Bibee arrived at Monday’s performance. He had pitched a season high eight innings in his previous start in Detroit. Whether that contributed to the lack of life on his fastball is something the pitching staff and the training staff will evaluate as they prepare him for his next start.
The 0-7 record attached to his name is one of the most misleading statistics in the American League, and it has nothing to do with the quality of the pitching he has delivered on most nights.
Monday was not most nights. Vogt said so clearly. Cleveland will need the real Tanner Bibee back in his next start, and based on everything this pitcher has shown over the course of his career, betting against that happening would be a mistake.
NEXT: Tanner Bibee Had One Of His Worst Nights And Guardians Paid The Price
