Tanner Bibee didn’t have the end to the season that he would’ve wanted.
The Cleveland Guardians’ Opening Day starter got just one postseason pitching appearance, and he didn’t take the mound at all during the six-game ALCS defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays.
He was on the Guardians’ playoff roster throughout, but he simply didn’t get called on. It was a bummer way to end the year for Bibee for sure — and reports from the season-ending clubhouse said Bibee may have been the most emotional guy there.
Clearly, Bibee wants to do well for the Guardians, but he didn’t get that chance in the playoffs.
Bibee, though, got some better news on Sunday, Nov. 1.
That’s when MLB announced its Gold Glove winners for the best fielder at each position in each league.
MLB’s Tanner Bibee Announcement
MLB announced Sunday night that Bibee was the winner of the American League Gold Glove at the pitcher position.
Bibee beat out Jacob deGrom of the Texas Rangers, as well as Angels and Blue Jays righty Jose Soriano.
This is what MLB.com had written when they announced the finalists:
“None of these three pitchers has taken home a Gold Glove Award, making for an exciting competition. Looking at the advanced metrics, Bibee has the edge in both Statcast’s Outs Above Average (+6) and Defensive Runs Saved (+5). Bibee’s and Soriano’s clubs, the Guardians and Blue Jays, have been heavily featured in this award this decade. Shane Bieber won for Cleveland in 2022, and José Berríos won for Toronto the following year.”
It’s worth noting that the OAA metric they cited actually has to do with the defense behind the pitcher — but the DRS stat is all Bibee.
Guardians History
The aforementioned Shane Bieber is the only previous Cleveland pitcher to win this award.
This is how MLB.com added to Bibee’s win in their awards write-up:
“Bibee, who led all AL pitchers with five Defensive Runs Saved, is just the second Cleveland pitcher to win a Gold Glove, joining Shane Bieber, who won one in 2022.”
A Gold Glove won’t make up for that fact that Bibee wasn’t trusted at the end of the year, but it is a big personal accomplishment.
Pitchers put in a lot of work each year in Spring Training to be capable fielders, and Bibee stood a step above the rest this season in the AL.
Hopefully this award is the kind of good vibe that can send Bibee into the offseason on a higher note. The Guardians will still need him to be a key contributor in the future — and with this added reputation for his glove, Bibee may enter next season with a bit more confidence.
MLB’s Tanner Bibee Announcement Makes Guardians History