The Guardians veteran has seen this crucial change in Tanner Bibee

Tanner Bibee had a serious chance to win AL Rookie of the Year at the end of 2023. Then, after just two starts from Shane Bieber in 2024, the second-year pitcher became the ace of the Cleveland Guardians.

Austin Hedges reflected on what he saw from Bibee during the season, and Cleveland's catcher pointed out a key change he saw from the second-year pitcher.

“At the beginning of this year he wanted to prove a lot to the world, you know, that it wasn't just a good rookie year. Obviously his rookie year was outstanding, and what he's done this year, I thought he's grown so quickly.

Hedges explained that the growing up he is referring to is not about developing a new pitch or learning new ways to make hitters hit more and miss more. When he's on the mound, it's his attitude and demeanor that matters.

“A lot of guys like him, who are really fiery and competitive, tend to get emotional on the mound when things aren't going their way, and I think early in the year he showed some tendencies to do that,” said Hedges. “Gosh, he made an adjustment maybe 15 starts or so ago, and the calm, cool, collected guy is out there every pitch, no matter what dire situation happens. The way he responds to adversity, he looks like a ten-year-old vet out there.

There's nothing wrong with showing emotion on the mound. In fact, it's one of the things that makes certain pitchers so much fun to watch. But as Hedges says, you can't let these emotions influence your game plan or your next pitch.

Bibee even admitted Friday that the first few innings of Game 1 will have a lot of adrenaline pumping through his body. However, Hedges' comments here should give you a good feeling that Bibee will remain cool and calm throughout the launch.