Bibee wins 1st career Gold Glove, 2nd Cleveland pitcher to earn honor
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CLEVELAND -- The exclusive list of Cleveland pitchers to win a Rawlings Gold Glove Award now stands at two.
Tanner Bibee earned his first career Gold Glove Award on Sunday, joining Shane Bieber (2022) as the only pitchers in Cleveland franchise history to receive the honor.
Bibee was a Gold Glove finalist alongside the Rangers’ Jacob deGrom and the Angels’/Blue Jays’ José Soriano. Bibee edged both in outs above average (+6) and defensive runs saved (+5), while ranking tied for second in the Majors among pitchers in the latter with Cardinals right-hander Michael McGreevy.
Bibee also took home his second career Fielding Bible Award last week, and he remains the only Cleveland pitcher to earn that honor.
Bibee’s defensive acumen was on display throughout the season, including in his third start on April 6. Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone hit a popup in front of the pitcher’s mound, when the Guardians’ infield was shaded toward the right side of the infield.
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Bibee camped under and snagged the ball for the third out of the second inning, then cracked a smile and raised his arms in the air in celebration.
“Pitchers don't necessarily get to catch those very often. You always get called off,” Bibee said that night. “I feel like whenever the ball goes up like that, my mindset is always to catch the ball. No one called me off, and I got to catch it. It was cool.”
Bibee nearly added another play to his highlight reel in his final start of the regular season, on Sept. 26 against Kansas City at Kauffman Stadium. It instead ended in light-hearted fashion.
Bibee and catcher Patrick Bailey chased after a foul popup that Carter Jensen hit toward the Guardians’ third-base dugout. It landed just out of their reach, and Bibee and Bailey sat side-by-side on the warning track dirt amused for a few moments.
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Bibee is the Guardians’ lone Gold Glove Award winner this season. Steven Kwan was also a finalist, in center field, but the award went to Boston’s Ceddanne Rafaela.
Kwan split his time between center (637 innings) and left (627) this season while adding the former to his toolkit. A four-time Gold Glove Award winner in left, he graded well in center, logging +5 outs above average.