Cleveland Guardians 2026 Opening Day starting pitcher is very obvious

2025 has had its ups and downs for the Cleveland Guardians.

But one player who always seems to be a light in the dark for the organization is starting pitcher Tanner Bibee.

Just a week ago, Bibee and the Guardians squared off against the Chicago White Sox. At home from Progressive Field, the 26 year-old ace was dialed in from start to finish, pitching a complete game shutout.

He tossed 10 strikeouts and allowed just two hits. One of the major strengths to his performance was not allowing any walks, a focal point for Bibee in his game each time he steps onto the mound.

"No walks for sure," Bibee said after going through nine innings for his second time in 2025. "I hate walking people, and it's a beautiful thing when they both happen at the same time."

COMPLETE GAME SHUTOUT FOR TANNER BIBEE! pic.twitter.com/4A1lwXneuT
— MLB (@MLB) September 13, 2025

For the Guardians, it would be the first time they had a pitcher go a complete game without giving up a run since 2019.

"Obviously, it's been an up-and-down year, but obviously it worked out today," he said in the postgame press conference following the game.

After pitching a complete game, Bibee got roughly six days to rest. He helped lead Cleveland to a win over the Detroit Tigers on September 18th, pitching through six innings and striking out eight batters. The Guardians would go on to win 3-1, with the only run coming from the bat of Tigers' Colt Keith in the second inning.

That win marks the third straight with Bibee on the mound.

In 2025, he boasts a record of 11-11, just one win shy of his career-best in 2024. Alongside an even .500 record, he has a 4.34 ERA and 157 strikeouts across 176.1 innings. His average strikeouts per nine innings sits at a straight 8.0, with his walk mark at 2.7.

While 2025 certainly has not been the best year of his career at the major league level, the third-year starter has shown glimpses of maturity. His game isn't easily rattled by a bad outing, and with the Guardians going through internal issues, he has shown resilience. He currently still has a positive pWAR, sitting at 0.8 and looks to be going the right direction as the year concludes.

Outside of Bibee, prospect pitcher Parker Messick and counterpart Logan Allen have been the other starters who have helped the Guardians re-find late-season form. They sport ERAs of 1.84 and 4.36, respectively.

However, the best ERA in the starting pitcher room is with Gavin Williams. The 26 year-old came up with Bibee and Allen and has pitched in 30 games this season. His ERA sits at 3.06 with 181 strikeouts on the year, an average of nine a game. One of the major downsides, though, is his walk rate, which is up to 4.5 per nine innings.

Heading into this offseason, one of the major questions is going to be determining the Guardians' ace. With such young, talented starting pitchers, the team cannot go wrong with any choice.

But, it should be Bibee.

Messick is far too young and inexperienced to be given the reigns, while Allen is much better as a Day 2 pitcher. He can get you middle-of-the-series wins, but the pressure put on the ace doesn't fit his presence on the mound. Williams was far too inconsistent in 2024 and is just now rounding the bend to being an effective starter. His walk rate is also currently the highest of all pitchers in the Guardians' organization that has pitched in over 40 innings.

Bibee just has that consistency to his game that is hard to replicate. His WHIP is also lower than those mentioned and while 2025 is considered a down year, there is no doubt he will bounce back even stronger in 2026.

Cleveland has a chance to form him into one of the best pitchers in the organization's history, and as long as he continues to develop, he may be the next Cy Young winner in the Guardians' record book.

The team inked him to a five-year deal through 2030 back in March of 2024, showing the long-term commitment to the Cal State Fullerton graduate.

Bibee remains undefeated in the month of September, and with the Guardians pushing for a playoff appearance, they are going to need him to keep his record clean.