Guardians Ace 'Getting Better' As Playoffs Approach

Tanner Bibee is pitching his best baseball at the best time for the Cleveland Guardians.

Sep 16, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee (61) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians' fate in the playoffs will depend on one thing: the starting pitching performances on any given night and whether they can turn the game over to the bullpen with a lead.

Luckily for Cleveland, they're heading into the postseason with their ace, Tanner Bibee, pitching the best he has all season.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt has noticed a trend and believes the sophomore pitcher "seems to keep getting better and better each time out."

Bibee played a key role in helping the Guardians clinch a first-round bye in the playoffs on Tuesday night. He gave up four hits, allowed one earned run, issued two walks, and struck out seven batters in 7.0 innings of work on Tuesday night against the Cincinnati Reds.

Aug 28, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee (28) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Bibee himself also likes the direction he's heading in as the playoffs quickly approach. After the game, he called his start against the Reds a nice "last little tuneup" before the postseason and was happy to get deep into the game against a solid lineup.

It would be surprising to see anyone outside of Bibee take the mound for the Guardians in game one, no matter who their opponent is.

Looking ahead, yes, the extra days off between the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs is a nice bonus. However, with Cleveland now having the bye, Bibee likely won't pitch in a major league game for another week and a half.

It will be interesting to see how he stays in shape to ensure this solid stretch stays intact heading into the postseason.