Tanner Bibee Predicted To Notch Major MLB Award

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee has had a peculiar 2026 season. His record is just 5-15, but his ERA is a respectable 4.06. Like almost all of the Guardians' rotation, he has taken the mound whenever it's been his turn. But the Cleveland offense seems to get even weaker than usual when he is in the game. So, if Bibee is going to have a chance to win, the defense has to be on point. In fact, the right-hander is often leading the way. That is why MLB.com is predicting Bibee will notch a major MLB award, naming him as the AL Gold Glove winner at pitcher. 'By Defensive Runs Saved, no AL pitcher has done a better job fielding their position this year than Bibee. His four DRS are tied for fourth most in the majors. This isn't surprising, because Bibee wants to make the play when the ball is hit to him. He said as much — and showed as much — way back in April after snagging a foul popup,' Jason Foster, Jared Greenspan, and Brian Murphy wrote. If Bibee were to receive the honor, it would be a historic achievement. Shane Bieber is the only other Cleveland pitcher to ever win an AL Gold Glove, doing so in the 2022 season with three defensive runs saved. This year, among qualified pitchers, Michael McGreevy of the St. Louis Cardinals leads the majors with six defensive runs saved. He is followed by Nolan McLean of the New York Mets, who is predicted to win the NL Gold Glove, and Shota Imanaga of the Chicago Cubs, who are tied at five each. Bibee's new Guardians teammate, Foster Griffin, who arrived at the trade deadline from the Washington Nationals, is also at four defensive runs saved. Gavin Williams, who leads the majors in strikeouts, is at three runs saved. Entering his most recent start last Thursday, the Guardians scored 3.05 runs per nine innings with Bibee on the mound, which was the least among qualified major league starters. They scored 56 runs with him in the game, which was the fewest for any pitcher with at least 150 innings this season. Cleveland is three games behind the Chicago White Sox, four in the loss column, in the AL Central with 17 games remaining. It does hold the final AL Wild Card, with a one-game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays entering play Tuesday. So, any run Bibee or his teammates could save is vitally important as the Guardians chase a playoff berth. NEXT: Joey Cantillo Sends Clear Message About His Confidence