Tanner Bibee’s 5-15 record looks bad on paper, and right now it sits at the top of the American League in losses. But around the Guardians, there’s a strong belief that the number is telling a misleading story.
After Thursday’s 6-3 loss to Toronto, Cleveland.com beat reporters Joe Noga and Paul Hoynes dug into why Bibee’s record has become such a glaring talking point on the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast. Their point was simple: the losses say far less about Bibee than the run support and the margin for error he’s been given.
“It’s an ugly looking record,” Hoynes said. “I think anyone who has seen Tanner pitch start in and start out knows he’s pitched better than that.
You know you can’t win if your team doesn’t score for you and every other mistake besides a lack of offense is kind of magnified in an environment like that. And I think that’s what Bibee is caught in.”
Noga pointed to the bigger issue behind the record.
“It doesn’t help when you’re getting three runs or fewer per nine innings of run support throughout the season, the lowest in, in all baseball among pitchers who have thrown 150 innings.”
That kind of support turns decent outings into losses and makes the standings page look harsher than the work on the mound. Manager Stephen Vogt said after Thursday’s game that Bibee’s record doesn’t reflect how he’s pitched, and the numbers back that up.
Thursday, though, was not one of Bibee’s cleaner nights. He walked five, matching a career high, and allowed five runs in four-plus innings. The fifth inning unraveled fast: two walks, a bunt single that could have gone foul, and then Nathan Lukes’ bases-loaded double that put the game out of reach before Cleveland could mount anything in response.
The bigger problem was what came after. Bibee was supposed to provide length. Instead, the Guardians had to use seven pitchers in the loss, and with a doubleheader against Detroit set for Friday, that left the club scrambling for arms.
“They needed him to get deeper into the game,” Noga said. “They wound up using seven pitchers. It’s more than likely going to cost somebody a job or a spot on the roster ahead of Friday’s doubleheader because you’ve got two games against Detroit and it’s going to be a long day at the ballpark.”
The expected fix is to activate Slade Cecconi from the injured list and make a corresponding move. That would give Cleveland a way to piece together the doubleheader, with Logan Allen likely starting game one and Cecconi potentially working in a piggyback role behind him.
“I think 3-4 innings out of Allen would be a bonus,” Hoynes said. “Then Cecconi, we don’t know. He could come in and be the bulk guy or maybe get you to the seventh or eighth.”
It’s not a tidy setup. But with the bullpen taxed and the calendar turning to a doubleheader, the Guardians don’t have the luxury of clean solutions.
In Other News...
Guardians Suddenly Have A Postseason Problem They Never Expected From Bibee
Tanner Bibees recent start in Toronto only added to the uneasy feeling around Clevelands rotation at the exact moment the Guardians can least afford it. In a 6-3 loss to the Blue Jays, Bibee gave up five runs in four innings, another reminder that the clubs most important stretch run is being complicated by a pitcher who entered the game as one of the biggest questions on the staff.
Cleveland is still clinging to a half-game lead for the American Leagues final Wild Card spot at 70-70, but the margin for error is thin and the pitching picture is getting harder to trust. Bibee has been inconsistent enough to lead the majors in losses, and if the Guardians are going to make this race hold, they need a lot more certainty from a starter they expected to lean on when the games start to matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Former Guardians Could Haunt Cleveland Fans All Through September
September has a way of turning old acquaintances into uncomfortable reminders, and that figure is likely to be a recurring theme for Cleveland fans as the season closes. Several former Guardians hitters are positioned for meaningful roles with new clubs down the stretch, giving them a chance to matter in the pennant race and, if their teams keep going, in October as well. Bo Naylor is with the Milwaukee Brewers, Josh Naylor has landed with the Seattle Mariners, Richie Palacios is part of the Tampa Bay Rays mix, Amed Rosario is now in the New York Yankees orbit, and Lane Thomas is with the Atlanta Braves.
For Cleveland, the challenge is not just seeing familiar faces on other rosters, but seeing them in spots where their current teams can lean on them. Each one brings a different kind of value and a different level of postseason relevance, which makes the next month feel a little like a reunion tour with real stakes attached. The Guardians are trying to finish their own season on their terms, but these ex-Guardians could keep showing up in moments that matter for someone else. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Suddenly Face A Bullpen Question Before A Crucial Doubleheader
Carlos Hernndez had been giving the Guardians a look out of the bullpen, working two relief appearances and striking out multiple batters while operating in low-leverage spots. Even so, Cleveland moved him off the roster to create space for pitching prospect Austin Peterson ahead of a doubleheader, a reminder of how quickly a club can shift its pitching picture when the schedule tightens.
The move leaves Hernndez in limbo as the Guardians wait to see whether he clears waivers and stays in the organization. For a team trying to manage arms around a crucial doubleheader, it is another small but potentially meaningful bullpen wrinkle, especially with a call-up in Peterson now taking priority over a veteran reliever who had just started to settle in. [Read more 🡒]