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Cleveland Guardians Break Streak By Naming Tanner Bibee Opening Day Starter

After 10 years of only turning to Corey Kluber and Shane Bieber on Opening Day, the Cleveland Guardians are passing the torch to Tanner Bibee in 2025.

Sam Connon

Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee (28) reacts after a double play during the fourth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field.
Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee (28) reacts after a double play during the fourth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field. / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
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For the first time in six years, the Cleveland Guardians are going with a fresh face on Opening Day.

The club officially named Tanner Bibee their Opening Day starting pitcher on Wednesday, eight days ahead of their season-opening showdown with the Kansas City Royals.

Shane Bieber, who underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2024, took the mound for Cleveland on Opening Day every year from 2020 to 2024. Prior to Bieber, Corey Kluber strung together five consecutive Opening Day starts between 2015 and 2019.

That makes Bibee the first pitcher other than Bieber or Kluber to top the Guardians' starting rotation in a decade.

Bibee is just two seasons into his big league career, but he has pitched in plenty of big moments for the Guardians. He made four starts in the 2024 postseason, posting a 3.45 ERA, 1.468 WHIP and 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings.

The right-hander finished runner-up in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2023, going 10-4 with a 2.98 ERA, 1.176 WHIP, 8.9 strikeouts per nine innings and a 3.9 WAR across 25 starts. He made 31 starts in 2024, posting a 12-8 record with a 3.47 ERA, 1.117 WHIP, 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings and a 2.7 WAR.

Bibee, 26, is under team control through 2028, meaning he could have plenty of Opening Day starts left in the tank. Bieber is expected to be back to full strength by the start of the 2026 season, though, so it remains to be seen if Bibee will be able to go on an uninterrupted run like his two predecessors – who have won three AL Cy Young Awards between them.

First pitch between the Guardians and Royals is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET.

Dating back to 2013, Cleveland's pitchers have allowed just 2.25 runs per game on Opening Day.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a Staff Writer for Fastball on the Sports Illustrated/FanNation networks. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's All Bruins, 247Sports' Bruin Report Online, Rivals' Bruin Blitz, the Bleav Podcast Network and the Daily Bruin, with his work as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk.

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