There’s guys who’re sleepers who you may draft across the final spherical of a draft and get a strong quantity three fantasy starter manufacturing like my Cody Bradford sleeper. Tanner Bibee isn’t that. Whether or not you pronounce “Bibee, child” just like the Infamous B.I.G. or not. As talked about previously, and can point out once more within the current, in case you had been to lose your pitcher rankings proper earlier than your draft, quite than calling in a bomb risk to your league commissioner’s home to get him to postpone the draft — don’t swat your Swat! — you may as a substitute simply use Okay-BB%. It’s not every thing, however that or Okay/BB offers you the gist for guys who might be good. Then the opposite factor you are able to do with none prep work is simply draft starters who’re on nice groups or in nice parks. Mariners’ starters? Sure, please and Woo. Petco and Metco? They produce strong starters in very strong environs. By the best way, don’t ever say “environs” out loud or the particular person listening to you has the proper to punch you. Brewers park, no matter it’s known as, isn’t nice for pitchers however their pitchers have been strong for a few years now because of their coaches. Tigers coach their pitchers up and their hitters to, properly, act like they’re dealing with their pitchers. The Guards are on this illustrious group too. The Cleveland Beginning Pitcher Manufacturing unit that was inbuilt a bombed-out Previous Spaghetti Manufacturing unit has churned out starters higher than its outdated environs gummed-up and spat-out mozzarella sticks. (Once more, it’s okay to learn and write “environs.”) Along with his Okay/BB (4.25), Okay-BB% (20.1%), Okay/9 (9.7), BB/9 (2.3) and environs, Tanner Bibee excels, however how and why are what make him particular. So, what can we count on from Tanner Bibee for 2025 fantasy baseball and what makes him a sleeper?
PSYCHE! My 2025 fantasy baseball rankings are all on Patreon. Don’t look forward to the rankings to come back out subsequent month. Anyway II, the Tanner Bibee sleeper:
Tanner Bibee first jumped out at me once I was perusing Z-Contact%. That is the quantity of contact a batter makes on a pitch thrown within the strike zone. Bibee had the seventh lowest. Right here’s the highest 9 (backside 9?):
Not a nasty checklist. It’s not every thing, however take into consideration what Z-Contact% means. The least quantity of contact on balls thrown within the strike zone. These are strikes and hitters can’t contact them. That’s a wonderful stat to excel at. The kinda hilarious factor is he’s twenty first lowest (highest) on O-Contact%, the balls thrown exterior the zone. Hitters are making contact on these balls, he stated crossing his legs. To me? That too is superb. Don’t you need hitters making contact on pitches off the plate? The one guys excelling at limiting contact within the zone and making contact out of the zone are Tanner Bibee and…Properly, that’s it. Bailey Ober comes closest, however he’s thirtieth in O-Contact%.
Let’s have a look at that Z-Swing% too (share of pitches a batter swings at contained in the zone). Discover how Bibee’s is the best on that screenshot? He’s third highest within the majors. This isn’t, in itself, an important factor. Assume what it means: A hitter acknowledges a strike and swings. Might imply guys are sitting on pitches, might imply guys throw numerous strikes and hitters are pounding shizz from right here to Shiz College. However what makes Bibee particular is how he will get extra hitters to swing at strikes, minus two starters, and is seventh in greatest for limiting contact on these swings. Ergo, vis-a-vis, due to this fact, hitters are swinging at every thing he throws and lacking.
“How does Tanner Bibee do that, Fantasy Grasp Lothario,” you ask whereas batting your eyes all cute-like. Tanner Bibee’s slider and cutter are nasty eh-eff. He has the fifth greatest slider in baseball with a .196 BAA, and a cutter with a BAA of .141. Zoinks! His fastball was hit arduous, which is the one factor you may say negatively on him. Properly, you may also say negatively about how he deejays weddings with two hours straight of the Full Home theme music below the identify, D.J. Tanner Bibee, however for fantasy the damaging stuff may be very restricted. His four-seamer’s .282 BAA wasn’t nice, nevertheless it was .243 the 12 months earlier than and, along with his management, I’d guess he will get it again to good vs. issues going extra pear-shape. Additionally, can we speak about how everybody must be taught a cutter? You throw a cutter and also you’re gonna be nice, it is a reality, Jack! And John, Joe, et al, and 5 lady readers’ names.
As I stated, this isn’t some loopy late sleeper. Tanner Bibee is presently going round one centesimal general, would’ve been a prime 50 general final on the Participant Rater with two extra wins (he was round seventy fifth because it was) and is coming into solely his third full season, the 12 months many starters come into their very own. That is about as straightforward of a layup as starters include the place you’re drafting him vs. the worth you’re getting. For 2025, my Tanner Bibee projections are 14-7/3.30/1.10/191 in 180 IP with an opportunity for extra, even a Cy Younger-type season.
