Tanner Bibee

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #7 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
  
  Track Record: The Guardians used 11 of their first 12 picks in the 2021 draft on college pitchers, a haul that included first-rounder Gavin Williams, now the organization's No. 2 prospect. Four rounds later, Cleveland selected Bibee, who had a solid, but unheralded four years at Cal State Fullerton. His first professional season was anything but unheralded. He rocketed up the Guardians' depth chart, reaching Double-A by the start of July. Bibee finished sixth in the minor league ERA race at 2.17 and just outside the top 10 with 167 strikeouts.
  
  Scouting Report: Bibee's breakout was fueled by a strong uptick in stuff while still maintaining the underlying traits that had led to his success as an amateur. He fits a familiar profile for Cleveland, with above-average control, four pitches and solid pitchability. But as an average-sized righthander with a fastball that sat in the low 90s, he didn't appear to have significant upside. The Guardians were able to help him improve his velocity, and his fastball ticked into the mid 90s and touched as high as 99 mph. His improved velocity helped the rest of his arsenal, especially his slider, which separated more definitively from his curveball. His slider has the promise of a plus offering, while his curveball and changeup--which has made significant strides as well--project as average pitches. That repertoire helped him compile a strikeout-minus-walk percentage of 27.1, which ranked fourth among minor league pitchers with 100 innings. He did so without sacrificing control and threw strikes at an above-average rate.
  
  The Future: Bibee's breakout 2022 season has raised his profile and expectations. Comparisons to previous success stories in the organization like Shane Bieber are inevitable, though somewhat unfair at this stage. Bibee has put himself on an accelerated track and could make his MLB debut in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 50. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Control: 55

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #212 prospect in 2021 draft
  Bibee is the latest Cal State Fullerton righthander with solid but unspectacular stuff and a track record of throwing strikes. After going unpicked in the shortened 2020 draft, he returned to school this spring and went 7-6, 3.61 with 67 strikeouts and 21 walks in 89.2 innings as the Friday night starter for the Titans. Bibee goes after hitters with a solid three-pitch mix. His fastball sits 90-93 mph and touches 95, his above-average slider is his strikeout pitch and his changeup is a usable third offering. Bibee has excellent fastball command and throws both of his secondaries over the plate, but none of his offerings misses an overwhelming number of bats. He relies on staying off the barrel, drawing weak contact and keeping hitters on the defensive with his aggressive, competitive tempo. Bibee doesn’t have a particularly high ceiling, but his ability to fill the strike zone with three pitches has teams interested in the middle of the top 10 rounds.
• Ranked #162 prospect in 2020 draft
  Bibee struck out more than a batter per inning in the Cape Cod League last summer and began the year as Fullerton’s Friday night starter. He lived up to the assignment with a 2.73 ERA and 10.0 strikeouts per nine innings through four starts before the season shut down. Bibee is the latest in the long line of Fullerton strike throwers with solid but unspectacular stuff. His fastball ranges from 89-93 mph, he gets swings and misses with his above-average slider and his changeup is a usable pitch. Bibee has excellent fastball command and is an aggressive competitor who fills up the strike zone. That worked in college, but he lacks a true out pitch and will need to have pinpoint command of his slider in pro ball. Bibee’s ceiling isn’t overly high, but his track record and ability to throw three pitches for strikes have clubs interested near the fifth round.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #86 prospect in 2023

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
  
  Track Record: The Guardians used 11 of their first 12 picks in the 2021 draft on college pitchers, a haul that included first-rounder Gavin Williams, now the organization's No. 2 prospect. Four rounds later, Cleveland selected Bibee, who had a solid, but unheralded four years at Cal State Fullerton. His first professional season was anything but unheralded. He rocketed up the Guardians' depth chart, reaching Double-A by the start of July. Bibee finished sixth in the minor league ERA race at 2.17 and just outside the top 10 with 167 strikeouts.
  
  Scouting Report: Bibee's breakout was fueled by a strong uptick in stuff while still maintaining the underlying traits that had led to his success as an amateur. He fits a familiar profile for Cleveland, with above-average control, four pitches and solid pitchability. But as an average-sized righthander with a fastball that sat in the low 90s, he didn't appear to have significant upside. The Guardians were able to help him improve his velocity, and his fastball ticked into the mid 90s and touched as high as 99 mph. His improved velocity helped the rest of his arsenal, especially his slider, which separated more definitively from his curveball. His slider has the promise of a plus offering, while his curveball and changeup--which has made significant strides as well--project as average pitches. That repertoire helped him compile a strikeout-minus-walk percentage of 27.1, which ranked fourth among minor league pitchers with 100 innings. He did so without sacrificing control and threw strikes at an above-average rate.
  
  The Future: Bibee's breakout 2022 season has raised his profile and expectations. Comparisons to previous success stories in the organization like Shane Bieber are inevitable, though somewhat unfair at this stage. Bibee has put himself on an accelerated track and could make his MLB debut in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 50. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Control: 55
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
  
  Track Record: The Guardians used 11 of their first 12 picks in the 2021 draft on college pitchers, a haul that included first-rounder Gavin Williams, now the organization's No. 2 prospect. Four rounds later, Cleveland selected Bibee, who had a solid, but unheralded four years at Cal State Fullerton. His first professional season was anything but unheralded. He rocketed up the Guardians' depth chart, reaching Double-A by the start of July. Bibee finished sixth in the minor league ERA race at 2.17 and just outside the top 10 with 167 strikeouts.
  
  Scouting Report: Bibee's breakout was fueled by a strong uptick in stuff while still maintaining the underlying traits that had led to his success as an amateur. He fits a familiar profile for Cleveland, with above-average control, four pitches and solid pitchability. But as an average-sized righthander with a fastball that sat in the low 90s, he didn't appear to have significant upside. The Guardians were able to help him improve his velocity, and his fastball ticked into the mid 90s and touched as high as 99 mph. His improved velocity helped the rest of his arsenal, especially his slider, which separated more definitively from his curveball. His slider has the promise of a plus offering, while his curveball and changeup--which has made significant strides as well--project as average pitches. That repertoire helped him compile a strikeout-minus-walk percentage of 27.1, which ranked fourth among minor league pitchers with 100 innings. He did so without sacrificing control and threw strikes at an above-average rate.
  
  The Future: Bibee's breakout 2022 season has raised his profile and expectations. Comparisons to previous success stories in the organization like Shane Bieber are inevitable, though somewhat unfair at this stage. Bibee has put himself on an accelerated track and could make his MLB debut in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 50. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Control: 55
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Midseason Update: Bibee is looking increasingly like another in the line of Guardians&#39 talented pitching prospects. He&#39s improved his stuff dramatically without sacrificing his ability to throw quality strikes. His fastball bumps the upper 90s and he backs it up with a nasty slider as well as an early-count curveball and a changeup.