Guardians' 4.81 ERA righty was one of MLB's most 'overhyped' stars for 2026

Guardians' 4.81 ERA righty was one of MLB's most 'overhyped' stars for 2026 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Cleveland Guardians are in an interesting spot as a franchise, with plenty of great players and a team good enough to contend, but lackluster spending overall.

One of the main reasons why they can have such potential is thanks to their pitching staff. Parker Messick nearly threw a no-hitter recently, while the other starters are also solid. At least, other than one pitcher who's failed to live up to expectations.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report called out Guardians righty Tanner Bibee as one of MLB's most "overhyped" stars for this season. With a 4.81 ERA through five outings, the Guardians righty hasn't been able to prove he's more than a mid-rotation starter.

Guardians' Tanner Bibee named most among 'overhyped' stars for 2026

"To date, Bibee's rookie season remains the best of his career," Reuter writes. "... He is a durable workhorse with above-average stuff, but he fits better as a No. 3/4 starter on a contender than he does at the top of a rotation."

The Guardians are 11-10 this season, following Bibee's best start of the year. He went six shutout innings and helped make his season statistics look a lot better.

He's currently sitting at a 4.81 ERA on the year through five starts, which isn't great, but it's also not too terrible. His eight-run outing against the Atlanta Braves is a big reason for his numbers looking as bad as they are.