Drafting, developing, and rolling out young pitching is something that the Cleveland Guardians organization has been known for a number of years now.
The 2023 season was no exception, as they debuted a trio of their next wave of young pitchers.
Arguably the most impressive of this group was Tanner Bibee, who finished as runner-up in the 2023 American League Rookie of the Year race.
This breakout season from Bibee wasn't a surprise to those in the Cleveland organization.
Guardians General Manager Mike Chernoff recently broke down why they weren't shocked by his successful first MLB campaign.
"Anytime a young player transitions to the Big Leagues like (Bibee) did, it's of course surprising just because it's so hard to do it. I think at the same time, the type of kid that he is, just how hard he worked throughout the Minor Leagues - this was like an unheralded prospect in college who gained four, five miles an hour of velocity in the Minor Leagues with us, was a tremendous worker, and put in a tone of talent. From that standpoint, it didn't surprise us he excelled. But really, it's not easy to break into the Big Leagues and have the type of year he did."
Bibee finished the season with a 2.98 ERA (lowest among AL rookies) and a 1.18 WHIP.
He made his MLB debut towards the end of April after making just three total starts at the Triple-A level, which is why Bibee's successful season could be seen as surprising.
Cleveland may not have originally planned on having Bibee join its starting rotation as early as he did.
However, injuries and underperformance forced the Guardians' hand, and now they know that they have a young ace in the fold for years to come.
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