Tanner Bibee wins his first Gold Glove, giving the Guardians only two AL Pitchers in franchise history to earn it

The central question is whether Tanner Bibee could become a first-time Rawlings Gold Glove winner. On Sunday, the Guardians pitcher did exactly that, earning his first career Gold Glove Award and joining Shane Bieber (2022) as the only pitchers in Cleveland franchise history to receive the honor.

MLB listed Bibee as a Gold Glove finalist alongside Jacob deGrom of the Rangers and José Soriano, then credited Bibee with the edge in the award’s defensive metrics. According to the league, Bibee ranked with +6 outs above average and +5 defensive runs saved, and he was tied for second among Major League pitchers in defensive runs saved among pitchers in the latter category (noting the comparison to St. Louis’ Michael McGreevy).

The Guardians’ win was not just a one-year story, MLB reported. Bibee also won his second career Fielding Bible Award last week and remained Cleveland’s only pitcher to earn that award.

MLB highlighted specific defensive moments that fit the Gold Glove theme. On April 6, during Bibee’s third start, a Royals popup near the mound led to a play where Bibee camped under it and caught it for the third out after infield positioning toward the right side of the dirt.

In his final regular-season start, MLB described another scene involving alert communication and hustle. Bibee and catcher Patrick Bailey chased a foul popup that landed out of reach near the third-base dugout, then reacted with amusement on the warning track rather than a clean make.

Cleveland’s only Gold Glove winner on the pitching staff came as Steven Kwan, a center-field finalist, came up short. MLB reported the center-field Gold Glove went to Boston’s Ceddanne Rafaela, even as Kwan split time between center and left and earned strong defensive grades across both areas.