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New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee and the winding paths for two could-be top Guardians starters
CLEVELAND — Terry Francona sat on the dugout bench on a sunny, late-August morning at Wrigley Field in 2015. After visits to Minnesota, Boston and New York, Francona's club had a pitstop in Chicago for a makeup game against the Cubs to complete a four-city tour. No one could blame Cleveland's manager if he were a bit ornery that morning, given the demanding trip. One Chicago reporter tested his patience. Advertisement The reporter didn't ask a question; he simply made a statement. Francona couldn't stand that approach. He'd usually reply, 'Is there a question in there?' To make it worse, the statement under fire contended that Corey Kluber was enduring a rotten season. On the surface, perhaps someone who hadn't watched Kluber pitch or studied any of his statistics, aside from his misleading win-loss record, would draw that conclusion. At the time, Kluber was 8-13. The horror! Kluber's ERA was 3.52. He had already surpassed the 200-strikeout mark. He rarely walked anyone. He didn't give up a ton of hits. His metrics suggested he was the same guy who had captured the Cy Young Award nine months earlier, but he was receiving insufficient support from his offense and had run into some poor fortune. If anyone was immune from criticism on that uninspiring 2015 team, it was Kluber. And so Francona snapped at the reporter and directed him to examine his numbers and actually watch him operate. That afternoon, Kluber limited the Cubs to one run on four hits over 7 2/3 innings, didn't issue a walk and racked up 11 strikeouts. Statement made. Once again, the offense granted Kluber no breathing room. Kris Bryant tagged Zach McAllister for a walk-off homer in a 2-1 Cubs win. Cleveland dropped to 58-66. The club had shipped out every veteran it could in the previous few weeks: Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, David Murphy, Brandon Moss, Marc Rzepczynski. The one building block that had the organization giddy, though, was the top of the rotation. That, it figured, could allow the club to contend again in 2016. Danny Salazar's stay at the top was a bit of a fever dream, thanks to shoulder injuries, but Cleveland's brass knew it had a dynamic front end of the rotation in Kluber and Carlos Carrasco. The path those two took to reach the pinnacle was not a straight line. It veered toward disaster at times. The same goes for Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie, another duo who spearheaded Cleveland's run to the 2022 American League Division Series. Advertisement The Guardians are experiencing that phenomenon again in 2025. For Stephen Vogt's group to chase down a playoff berth, a two-headed monster of Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee could lead the charge. Development doesn't always follow a linear path, though. Cleveland's front office didn't forecast Kluber claiming a pair of Cy Young Awards when it acquired him for two months of Jake Westbrook in 2010. Carrasco was the one with the tantalizing arsenal and the top-of-the-rotation projections. As Kluber charged toward the finish line of his first Cy Young season in 2014, Carrasco was returning to the rotation after a three-month bullpen stint. He was 27 and on his last chance to stick on the big-league roster. That experience in the bullpen changed everything. When he rejoined the rotation, he kept pitching like a reliever — from the stretch, with simplified mechanics and an aggressive approach. He posted a 1.30 ERA in 10 starts to close the season. Kluber emerged as the top pitcher in the AL. Cleveland had something brewing atop its rotation, and the two would create years of magic as the cornerstones of the league's most envied pitching operation. If Carrasco had been healthy during the 2016 postseason, the Cubs might still own the league's longest title drought. Like Kluber, Bieber was never a flashy prospect. He had pinpoint command and the makeup the organization covets, but no one imagined he'd ascend to ace status. He breezed through the minors, and on his 23rd birthday, he made his big-league debut, the new No. 5 starter in a historically proficient rotation. A year later, he was an All-Star Game MVP and finished fourth in the AL Cy Young balloting. A year after that, he was a unanimous Cy Young Award winner. Meanwhile, McKenzie debuted in 2020 and flaunted the skill that made him a top pick and top prospect. In 2021, however, he suffered through bouts of shaky command and tentative pitching. Bieber missed half the season with shoulder trouble. In 2022, the two put it all together: It was a short-lived run. Each made a pair of strong playoff starts that year. Their names surfaced in Cy Young conversations the following spring. But injuries derailed their next two seasons. Now, Bieber is with the Toronto Blue Jays. McKenzie is pitching to teenagers on back fields with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Advertisement Before the lockout ended in the spring of 2022, Cleveland's coaches convened in Goodyear, Ariz., to watch minor-leaguers, since they were prohibited from communicating with anyone on the 40-man roster. Pitching coach Carl Willis had an instant affinity for Williams, a hard-throwing 2021 first-round pick who was built like an oak tree and hailed from North Carolina, where Willis has spent much of his life. But that spring, Willis noticed another pitcher, whom he said had 'impeccable command, a really good slider' and a fastball sitting at 94-95 mph. 'I was asking, 'Who is this guy?'' Willis said. That was Bibee, a fifth-round pick the previous summer. He didn't stand in Williams' shadow for long. The two rose through the ranks together. The following spring, neither was in big-league camp, but Willis and other coaches and analysts flocked to back fields to watch the two pitch. Those late mornings at the complex were like Pretzel Day at the Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company. Williams and Bibee were the future, and the future arrived sooner than anticipated. In spring 2023, the Guardians told Bibee he would start the year at Double-A Akron, but because of injuries to other pitchers, they altered his assignment to Triple-A Columbus a few days before camp ended. A month later, he was in the majors, and he flourished, finishing second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. Williams joined him that June and didn't look daunted, either. Bibee posted a 2.98 ERA across 25 starts. Williams logged a 3.29 ERA in 16 starts. Then, the hurdles appeared. An elbow injury wiped out half of Williams' 2024 season. When he returned, consistency proved elusive. In early September, he held the Kansas City Royals to one hit in seven innings. Five days later, he was yanked in the first inning. Advertisement Williams labored through his first seven starts of this season, with inflated pitch counts, a ton of traffic and early hooks. Since mid-May, however, with some pitch-usage tweaks and mechanical refining, he has carried Cleveland's rotation. 'We're watching a guy turn into a very consistent starting pitcher,' Vogt said. Gavin Williams shined yesterday in Queens, taking a no-hitter into the 9th!#GuardsBall | @CLE_CLF — Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) August 7, 2025 Vogt said he rewatched Williams' near-no-hitter a few times last week to gain an even better appreciation for it. Bibee was awestruck when New York fans offered Williams a standing ovation in the ninth inning, after the Mets finally broke through. As Williams inched closer and closer to history, Bibee stood against the dugout railing, careful not to jinx anything, despite second baseman Daniel Schneemann 'having a freaking aneurysm next to me after every single out.' 'He's figured it out,' Bibee said. 'He's been really good.' For Bibee, the 2025 season has been a thorn. Many of his metrics are in line with previous years, but his hit rate, home run rate and strikeout rate have traveled in the wrong direction, pushing his ERA to 4.60. Bibee remains confident he'll rebound, and when he does, he's eager to form a potent duo atop the rotation. 'Obviously, everyone wants to be the best,' Bibee said, 'but you don't want to be the best by default.' For the Guardians, receiving peak production from Williams and Bibee for the next six weeks would go a long way toward vaulting them to the playoffs. They're still navigating their paths to the top, though. Williams struggled in his outing Wednesday against the Miami Marlins. Bibee will have a chance to pick him up and reroute his own season Thursday. 'It takes time. It's still (up and down),' Willis said, motioning his right hand like a roller-coaster car. 'We're trying to make it just a little more linear.' (Top photo of Gavin Williams: Alika Jenner / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Guardians hire 2-time Cy Young winner to coaching staff
CLEVELAND (WKBN) — The Cleveland Guardians announced the hiring of Corey Kluber to the role of Special Assistant, Pitching. Read next: Downtown Youngstown restaurant closing Kluber returns to the organization in his new role after a dominant career on the mound for Cleveland. In nine seasons with the club, he posted a record 98-58 with 1,461 strikeouts over 1,341.2 innings. The two-time Cy Young Award winner and three-time All Star posted 18-or-more wins in four separate seasons (2014, 2016-18), including a 20-win season in 2018. Kluber also won the ERA title in 2017, boasting a 2.25 mark. His .628 win percentage is the second-highest in club history, while his 1,461 strikeouts rank third. The right-hander was instrumental in Cleveland's 2016 World Series run, going 4-1 with a 1.83 ERA across six starts. In total, Kluber spent 13 seasons in the Majors, finishing his career with a 116-77 record and 3.44 ERA in 271 games with the Indians, Rangers, Yankees, Rays and Red Sox. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Cleveland Guardians welcome back Corey Kluber as special assistant
Former MLB star Corey Kluber joined hands with the Cleveland Guardians as a special assistant for the 2025 season . The two-time Cy-Young recipient would be handling the pitching department at the Cleveland Guardians. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He was welcomed back by Cleveland after his stint with the respective MLB team back in 2023. Cleveland Guardians join hands with the former MLB star Corey Kluber for the 2025 season Corey Kluber was recently hired by the Cleveland Guardians as a special assistant for the pitching department. The 39-year-old former Red Sox star hung his gloves back in 2023 bidding goodbye to the MLB world. Reportedly, he had been a significant part of the Cleveland for almost a decade before moving towards the Rangers. The official handle of the Guardians posted about their recent additional X, which mentioned- 'We have hired former RHP Corey Kluber in the role of Special Assistant, Pitching. Welcome back, Klubes!' Corey Kluber was one of the most prominent pitching stars back in 2014. During his stint with the Cleveland Guardians, he went on to become one of the most popular pitching stars and even secured two Cy-Young Awards under his name. During a recent press conference with the Guardians, Kluber even spoke about his new role and said- 'A lot of it is figuring it out as we go. There's nothing set in stone, but I think it's trying to really find the best ways for me to contribute. I'm not looking to take something away from anybody else that does stuff, but really just use the experience that I have to be a resource if there's an opportunity to do so.' Corey Kluber 2023 Highlights! As a young and dynamic major league athlete, his baseball career was hardly plagued by any injuries, but as soon as he entered his 30s he started experiencing shoulder and arm discomfort during his tenure at the Texas Rangers back in 2019. Corey Kluber was last seen pitching for the Boston Red Sox in 2023 before taking a back seat in the world of major league baseball. Also Read:
New York Times
14-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Guardians hire former ace Corey Kluber as special pitching assistant
CLEVELAND — Corey Kluber stood in the home bullpen at Progressive Field on Tuesday afternoon, his hands tucked inside the front pocket of his navy Guardians hoodie as he watched Tanner Bibee throw a side session. Ten years and one day ago, Kluber authored one of the most dazzling pitching performances in the 125-year history of Cleveland's baseball franchise. Now, he's back at the venue where he implausibly emerged as one of the league's most accomplished starting pitchers. Once again, it's home. Advertisement The Guardians on Wednesday officially hired Kluber as a special assistant who will aid the organization's pitchers, a role that figures to take more form as the season unfolds. On May 13, 2015, Kluber carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the 100-win St. Louis Cardinals. He logged eight scoreless innings, and he piled up 18 strikeouts to tie Bob Feller's franchise record. And there to witness it all was Feller's widow, Anne, who had cut the ribbon that afternoon to unveil a new exhibit in the ballpark's Terrace Club that honored her late husband. It was the ultimate Kluber showcase, with his two-seam fastball zipping back to catch the corner and his slurve dancing around hitters' bats. And then there's Kluber's run in October 2016, which — up until Game 7 of the World Series, when his tank was emptier than a well in the Sahara — was the stuff of legend. He recorded a 0.89 ERA in his first five starts that postseason, despite twice pitching on short rest. With one more heroic swing or one more zero in Game 7, Cleveland would have had a championship, and Kluber would have a statue peering out at E. 9th Street. Those credentials will aid Kluber in his new endeavor. He can lean on the ingredients that guided him to a pair of Cy Young awards, the keys to his five-year stretch of dominance and durability. From 2014-18, he registered a 2.85 ERA, averaged 246 strikeouts per season and limited the opposition to a .618 OPS. But Kluber can also spread wisdom about the struggle, and it's that side of the pitcher that makes him relatable to almost anyone he's teaching. Kluber was far from some hotshot prospect destined to receive one chance after another to prove he could sling it. He was a dart throw by Cleveland's front office in 2010, when they shipped the last two months of Jake Westbrook's contract to the Cardinals in a three-team deal that netted the Indians a relatively unknown Padres pitching prospect. Advertisement Kluber's name didn't surface on any top prospect list, but the Guardians weren't positioned to ask for a haul, so they settled on a guy with a mildly intriguing strikeout rate. Even though he was 24 and pitching at Double A, they deemed him worth the low-risk investment. Before he emerged as Cleveland's ace, he was laboring through five-inning starts at Triple-A Columbus, where he logged a 5.56 ERA in 2011. He spent much of 2012 in the minors at the age of 26. Earlier this week, Kluber and Cleveland pitching coach Carl Willis reminisced about those early days, when Kluber was far from a finished product. That, Willis said, should help Kluber in this next phase. The last five years of his career, Kluber pitched for five teams and totaled only 335 innings. He dealt with injuries and declining velocity. He also tossed a no-hitter for the Yankees in 2021. 'I probably experienced pretty close to a full spectrum of things in a career,' Kluber said. 'I wasn't a very good minor-leaguer, figured out some stuff and still had to develop at this stage. … It's having a lot of different types of experiences to build on. Hopefully, it presents opportunities to help guys with a lot of different things.' He has already conversed with Gavin Williams, who has the ingredients but lacks the execution. He may eventually connect with some minor leaguers. He's not entirely sure yet what the job will entail. But he knew last year he needed to remain involved in some capacity. When spring training arrived last February and his body barked at him to head to camp somewhere, he felt lost. He had retired, but baseball's circadian rhythm takes far longer to shake. 'I needed something to do,' Kluber said, 'something to work toward, something to feel a sense of accomplishment, aside from just driving the kids to school.' Advertisement After consulting Guardians president Chris Antonetti, Kluber joined the Guardians for four days in spring training. He has popped in during several homestands since the regular season commenced. 'A lot of it is building relationships,' he said, 'getting to know them, trying to learn about the guys, whether it be how they pitch or how they tick mentally. That presents a better opportunity to find meaningful moments to suggest something.' Enough time has passed that Kluber said he's not familiar with any of Cleveland's pitchers. Williams was a teenager at Cape Fear High School in Fayetteville, N.C., when Kluber submitted that 18-strikeout masterpiece. Earlier this week, the two talked about pitch arsenals and being patient with development. 'Who better to have than Corey Kluber to be an influence on your starting pitching?' Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. Vogt faced Kluber for six at-bats over two July games in 2015 and 2016. Vogt went 2-for-5 with a walk, a double and a home run. The home run accounted for the only scoring in a 2-0 Athletics win on July 12, 2015, when Sonny Gray outdueled Kluber. Vogt said he has yet to remind Kluber of that encounter. 'Still in the get-to-know-you phase,' Vogt quipped. Kluber wasn't bested often in those days. When he anchored Cleveland's rotations, his teammates would be glued to his side sessions. They would study his arsenal and try to replicate his two-seam fastball. They would marvel at his consistency, his regimen, the way he'd zero in on Yan Gomes' glove and convert everything else into white noise. He was the face of Cleveland's pitching factory, a forgotten prospect who bloomed into an unquestioned ace. Now, he's back to help unlock the potential of the next great Cleveland hurler. 'When he speaks,' Willis said, 'they're going to listen. … He has a wealth of information to share.' (Top photo of Corey Kluber pitching for Cleveland against the Chicago Cubs in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series: Ken Blaze / Imagn Images)
Hamilton Spectator
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber returns to Cleveland as Guardians special assistant
CLEVELAND (AP) — The only two-time Cy Young Award winner in franchise history has returned to the Cleveland Guardians. Corey Kluber was hired as a special assistant for pitching Wednesday, rejoining the organization that he played for from 2011-2019 as part of a 13-year career in the majors. He also spent one season apiece with the Rangers, Yankees, Rays and Red Sox. Kluber compiled a 98-58 record and a 3.16 ERA with 1,461 strikeouts for Cleveland, ranking second in team history with a .628 winning percentage. The right-hander retired prior to the 2024 season with a 116-77 overall mark, a 3.44 ERA and 1,725 strikeouts over 1,641 2/3 innings. A three-time All-Star with Cleveland, Kluber won the American League Cy Young Award in 2014 and 2017. He started three games for the then-Indians in the 2016 World Series against the Chicago Cubs. He went 4-1 with a 1.83 ERA in six postseason starts. The Cy Young Award was first handed out in 1956, the same year Cleveland great Bob Feller retired from baseball. ___ AP MLB:
