Hope On The Horizon For Cleveland Guardians Starting Rotation

Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee have strong starts as the Cleveland Guardians get Alex Cobb and Matthew Boyd back from injury.

Aug 11, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee (28) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports / Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

The starting rotation has uncharacteristically been an issue for the Cleveland Guardians starting in spring training when Gavin Williams was sidelined with an elbow injury. Then Shane Bieber’s season came to a close after two masterful starts because of the realization the former Cy Young winner needed Tommy John surgery.

Flash forward a little bit into the seasons and more pressure was put on the pitching staff with Carlos Carrasco, Triston McKenzie, and Logan Allen underperforming in their roles.

It’s been a rough road for the Cleveland pitching staff, but hope is on the horizon for this group.

Alex Cobb, Matthew Boyd In The Mix

Cleveland signed Matthew Boyd in late June, anticipating the astronomical price of a starting pitcher on the trade market. Boyd was still rehabbing from Tommy John surgery at the time, but his return is imminent and could come as soon as Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs.

Boyd may not be an All-Star caliber pitcher at this point in his career, but he’s still an experienced starter who can give Cleveland innings. The 33-year-old has pitched in five rehab starts in the minors since the Guardians signed him and he has a 0.83 ERA and 0.65 WHIP. 

Alex Cobb was in a similar situation as Boyd as the 36-year-old missed the start of the season with the San Francisco Giants due to an offseason hip injury. Cobb was traded to the Guardians at the deadline and made his first start with Cleveland on Friday against the Twins.

The box score doesn’t tell the full story of Cobb’s start. Yes, he gave up four earned runs. But the movement on his pitches got better as the game went on. It was a pretty typical start for a pitcher who hasn’t thrown in a major league game yet this season. 

It’ll be interesting to see how Cobb responds during his next start on Wednesday night.

Aug 9, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Alex Cobb (35) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports / Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee’s Strong Starts

The Guardians can’t solely rely on their two midseason additions if they’re going to return to the postseason this October. They need their two young arms, Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee, to live up to their hype from a season ago. 

This duo showed their capability for doing just that with each of their starts on against the Twins from over the weekend.

Williams took the mound on Saturday night with what Stephen Vogt described as a “different demeanor.” The 24-year-old put together easily his best start of the season, pitching 6.0 innings, giving up four hits, allowing one earned run, issuing zero batters, and striking out three. 

Bibee followed that up with a stellar start, going 5.2 innings, allowing two earned runs, and issuing no walks. This included pitching out of a two-on, two-out jam in the bottom of the fifth inning.

There are certainly still some unknowns and concerns with the rotation, but the Guardians are clearly in the best spot they’ve been the entire season with this group.