(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Due to a series of unfortunate, untimely injuries, the Cleveland Guardians decided to call up one of their best pitching prospects to make a start in MLB on Wednesday.
Tanner Bibee was supposed to start on Tuesday for Triple-A Columbus, but was scratched.
Instead, he faced the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday.
Granted, the foe wasn’t the strongest, but Bibee had an impressive debut.
In 5.2 frames, he allowed six hits and a single run to earn the win.
The best part of all is that he didn’t walk anyone and struck out a whopping eight hitters.
Five of those were consecutive, which established a cool record.
“Tanner Bibee is the first Cleveland pitcher since at least 1920 to record 5+ consecutive strikeouts in an MLB debut,” Guardians insider Mandy Bell tweeted.
Tanner Bibee is the first Cleveland pitcher since at least 1920 to record 5+ consecutive strikeouts in an MLB debut.
(H/t @SlangsOnSports @EliasSports)
— Mandy Bell (@MandyBell02) April 26, 2023
Bibee was a fifth-round pick by the Guardians in 2021, just two years ago.
He is 24 and was among the Guardians’ best pitching prospects in the last year.
It’s unclear if he is here to stay or if it will be a one-and-done start, but he certainly made an impression.
He was already doing so in Triple-A, with a 1.76 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP, and a 19/8 K/BB ratio across 15.1 innings (three starts) this season.
The right-hander has four quality pitches that he can throw for strikes.
It all starts with his 93-95 mph fastball, but he also has a curve, slider, and changeup.
Both of his breaking balls have high spin rates and he generates plenty of swings-and-misses.
The Rockies can attest to his excellent stuff.
With the current state of the Guardians rotation, we wouldn’t be shocked to see him stick around on the staff for a few more turns.
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