Pitching prospect knocking on the door

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Tanner Bibee has made just two starts in Triple-A Columbus this year and he still has Guardians fans talking.

“Talking” is a dramatic understatement at this point. Not a day goes by without a Cleveland fan tweeting about their desire for the 24-year-old righty to be promoted to the big leagues.

It makes sense. Bibee has turned countless heads since he was drafted in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB Draft. He went from unranked in Cleveland’s system to sitting at No. 5 entering the ‘23 season, according to MLB Pipeline.

He’s made two starts for Triple-A Columbus and he has yet to give up a run. He has struck out 15 and walked three in 11 innings.

It seems self-explanatory at this point, but let’s take a look at three reasons to keep a close eye on Bibee, anyway.

A debut is not that far away

I don’t have a crystal ball. This job would be much simpler if I did. But it doesn’t seem possible for a Major League debut to be that far out of Bibee’s reach.

“It’s very cool to think about sometimes,” Bibee told MLB Pipeline expert Jonathan Mayo on the MLB Pipeline Podcast this spring, “but if you think about it too often, it can kind of corrupt you a little bit.”

Bibee, like so many of Cleveland’s top prospects, seems to have a level of maturity about him that will help him focus on the task at hand without getting too far ahead of himself. So far, he’s proven that, considering he gave up just one hit in six innings last time out.

But not only is Bibee ready, the Guardians need starters. Hunter Gaddis and Peyton Battenfield have held their own filling in for Triston McKenzie (teres major muscle strain) and Aaron Civale (left oblique strain). Battenfield pitched well in his one start against the Yankees and is currently penciled in to get the nod on Tuesday in Detroit. But if there’s any indication that either of these guys can’t handle these roles, Bibee is eagerly waiting in Triple-A for his shot.

Heater

The one thing missing from this rotation (aside from two of its regular arms) is velocity. Guardians starters aren’t known for breaking the radar gun. Some rely on pinpoint control, others pitch to contact, and guys like Civale seem to have 14 different pitches to choose from to help keep batters on their toes.

Bibee can bring the heat.

Last time out, he topped out at 99.4 mph, slowly inching toward his first triple-digit heave. This is a new tool with which the young righty can play around. In college at Cal State Fullerton, his fastball sat in the low 90s. Since becoming pro, he’s worked with Cleveland’s pitching development staff and has found a way to add a few more ticks to his velocity.

“Since I got here, it’s been nice to kind of lean on my fastball,” Bibee told Mayo. “In college, I kind of had to lean on everything else and not as good of a fastball. I think that has been the difference maker.”

It certainly took his strikeout numbers to new heights last year. In 25 combined starts between High-A Lake County and Double-A Akron, Bibee fanned 167 batters in 132 2/3 innings.

“My goals going into the year were to not miss a start and to strike out as many people as possible,” Bibee told Mayo. “And, obviously, throw hard while doing it because every pitcher wants to throw hard.”

Bieber comps

MLB Pipeline has compared Bibee to Shane Bieber in the past.

They have similar stories, coming from California colleges, getting drafted a few rounds later than the big names and finding a new gear once they turned professional. Bibee will have a different type of game than Bieber, assuming he’s able to hold on to his velocity throughout his career, but just like Cleveland’s ace, he wants to be a pitcher -- not just someone who can blow a heater past a bat.

“I really like mixing,” Bibee explained to Mayo. “I like keeping guys off balance or if they can’t prove they can hit something, I’ll keep throwing it. I want to be a pitcher that can throw any pitch in any count because I want to keep them as off-balance as I can. That’s how I’ve been all of my life. Just because I can throw harder now doesn’t mean I should change.”