Why Tanner Bibee will be the Guardians' ace in 2026

Last week, Tanner Bibee pitched the first complete-game shutout of his career. The 26-year-old struck out 10 across nine strong innings in the Cleveland Guardians' victory over the Chicago White Sox.

And the best part of the start? He didn't walk anyone.

"I hate walking people, and it's a beautiful thing when they both happen at the same time," Bibee said after the game.

While it's been a bit of an up-and-down year for Bibee, he's peaking at the right time and is beginning to once again look like the team'a ace thanks to his blend of durability, consistency and strong arsenal.

He's now pitched 170 1/3 innings this year to go along with 149 strikeouts and an ERA of 4.44 and a WHIP of 1.239. He's only allowing 2.6 walks per nine innings while striking out an average of nearly eight batters per nine innings.

After posing an ERA above six in both July and August, he has a 1.15 ERA across two starts in September. He's also gone at least six innings in each of his last four starts.

Tanner Bibee is back to looking like an ace for the Guardians

Those numbers may not be as good as they were during his strong 2023 campaign, but his workload and ability to take the ball every fifth day stand out in a rotation that's struggled with durability over the past couple seasons.

Bibee has posted a 32-33 record with a 3.67 ERA across 85 starts since making his major league debut. The 2023 season also marked the year where Logan Allen and Gavin Williams made their debut as well.

Allen has posted a 4.56 ERA in 367 innings since making his debut and has struggled with his consistency, while Williams has flashed frontline potential but is still working to cut down on his walks (he currently leads all of baseball with 79).

The Guardians have also gotten some great production lately from young starters Parker Messick, Slade Cecconi and Joey Cantillo — all of whom have legitimate cases to be in next year's rotation. They may not be on the same level as Bibee or Williams, but they're still providing the Guardians with strong pitching.

The biggest difference between Bibee and the rest of the rotation rests both in his numbers and his reliability.

He's on pace to lead the guardians in innings pitched for the second straight season, which is tangible example of his durability and ability to lead the staff.

The Guardians signaled their belief in Bibee this spring when they signed him to a five-year contract. After a rough start to the year, he's finally showing why that investment was worth it. Right now, it seems clear that Bibee can anchor Cleveland's rotation for years as the team's undeniable ace.