Guardians Made Confusing Tanner Bibee Decision in the Playoffs

When the Cleveland Guardians took the field for the first time in 2026, it was Tanner Bibee who was the team’s starting pitcher. It made sense, at the time, for the team’s highest-paid and battle-tested pitcher to get the ball on Opening Day.

Fast forward to Cleveland’s playoff run this October, and it’s a completely different story for both the team and the player.

The Guardians barely used Bibee during the playoffs.

Of the 11 postseason games the Guardians played, Bibee pitched in on one of them, which was one-third of an inning out of the bullpen in Game 4 of the ALDS against the Chicago White Sox; no starts.

To say this decision not to use Bibee in October is confusing is putting it lightly.

Bibee didn’t have an All-Star-caliber season, and even manager Stephen Vogt admitted his 2026 campaign was inconsistent. The starting pitcher finished the season with a 4.36 ERA, with his best month being in June (1.89) and his worst being in September (7.36).

Ignoring the numbers, though, Bibee has playoff experience, which sometimes matters more than the stats themselves. One would think that alone would get him into a game. 

Cleveland seemingly had situations to hand Bibee the ball in big postseason moments, but for whatever reason chose not to. After the Guardians’ season-ending loss, Vogt said the team wanted Bibee to pitch, but the opportunity never came.

This raises the question of what opportunity Cleveland was waiting for to hand Bibee the ball.

The Guardians' pitching staff was visibly gassed, a key reason Cleveland lost the ALCS. However, Bibee never stood on the mound in the championship series.

That included Game 3 and Game 6, when Cleveland opted for an opener and a bullpen game instead of a traditional starter. Bibee didn’t even get the ball in those games when it was all hands on deck.

Clearly, the Guardians' strategy was to ride the hot hand of the pitching staff in the postseason, and that didn’t include Bibee, given how he ended the regular season.

It’s odd for a team to avoid using a pitcher in the postseason the way the Guardians did with Bibee, and that could create some uncomfortable conversations and decisions for both sides this offseason.

Despite Cleveland’s questionable usage, or lack thereof, of Bibee in October, Vogt still views him as a “rock” in the rotation moving forward, including in 2027.