Tanner Bibee, Logan Allen Two Latest Graduates Of Cleveland Guardians’ Pitching Factory

As the offensively-challenged Cleveland Guardians continue to pursue, and perhaps even solve the mysteries of run production, the buoyancy of their ongoing quest to defend the Central Division title they won last year will apparently rest on the shoulders of the shoulders attached to a largely home-grown starting rotation produced by an organization that continues to be one of the industry leaders in pitching incubation.

Cleveland’s projected starting rotation at the start of this season was, Shane Bieber, Triston McKenzie, Aaron Civale, Cal Quantrill, and Zach Plesac. That fivesome was basically the team’s starting rotation for most of Cleveland’s 92-win 2022 season.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Guardians’ projected starting rotation to start this season: Bieber, Hunter Gaddis, Civale, Quantrill, and Plesac. Of those five, only Bieber and Quantrill have made all their scheduled starts.

McKenzie has spent the entire season, so far, on the injured list. Civale made two starts and was placed on the injured list. Plesac, in five starts, had a 7.59 ERA, and gave up an average of 15 hits per nine innings in those starts, in which opposing batters hit .374 against him. He was demoted to Triple-A Columbus after those five starts.

So for roughly the first two months of the season, only two of the Guardians’ five projected starters – Bieber and Quantrill – have made all their starts.

Fortunately for the Guardians, their ability to draft and develop pitchers at a steady rate – Civale, Bieber and Plesac were all selected by Cleveland in the span of nine rounds (3^rd through the 12^th) in the 2016 draft – has helped them weather their current run of injuries to the rotation.

ADVERTISEMENT

Specifically, it’s been rookies Tanner Bibee and Logan Allen, who were promoted from Triple-A Columbus to the big-league club, and have made immediate, and positive contributions to Cleveland’s wounded rotation.

Bibee, a right-hander, and Allen, a left-hander, have both made six starts for the Guardians, and both have been outstanding. In 34 innings Bibee is 1-1 with a 2.88 ERA and Allen is 1-2 with a 3.31 ERA. Bibee has 34 strikeouts and nine walks and Allen 33 strikeouts and nine walks. Both pitchers are 24 years old, but pitch with a maturity beyond their years.

Cleveland pitching coach Carl Willis is not surprised by the immediate success of his two new pupils.

“Obviously, it’s the stuff and the pitch ability with both of them,” Willis said. “The dedication and consistency of their routines allows them to prepare in a way that they bring a lot of confidence to the mound on game day.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Nurturing young pitchers through the minor leagues to the point that they are ready when they get their big-league chance is easier said than done. Cleveland’s pitching factory has a reputation for identifying college pitchers the Guardians’ player development staff feels it can turn into productive major league pitchers. Bibee and Allen are the two latest examples.

“In both cases, their first couple, three starts we didn’t try to overload them with information. We wanted them to go out and pitch with what got them here,” Willis said. “Let’s see how that plays, and what adjustments we need to make, if any.”

With both Bibee, selected in the fifth round of the 2021 draft out of Cal State Fullerton, and Allen, a second-round pick in 2020 out of Florida International University, there apparently haven’t been any major adjustments necessary. Bibee is averaging 2.4 walks and 8.9 strikeouts per nine innings. Allen’s numbers are almost identical: 2.5 and 9.1.

ADVERTISEMENT

Willis says Guardians’ scouts are always on the lookout for pitchers with the characteristics that Cleveland’s development staff seeks.

“Our scouts, and player development are on the same page,” Willis said. “Our organization does a good job in searching for people who complement each other. Not everyone has a full, perfect skill set. It’s a team effort that has no agendas other than helping the player become the best pitcher he can be.”

The importance of the Guardians’ ability to develop and maintain a steady inventory of pitching prospects in the organization cannot be overstated, especially for a team that traditionally doesn’t pursue big-ticket free agents, or trade for high-salaried stars.

As the Guardians’ major league pitching coach, Willis understands that dynamic, and the importance of constructing a roster with a strong, and deep, rotation.

“We’re the first line of run prevention,” Willis said of his pitchers. “Regardless of the score, we’re trying to keep the opposing team at zero for as long as we can.”

ADVERTISEMENT