The Indians announced via Twitter that Shane Bieber will be the team’s Opening Day starter.
Shane Bieber was our 5th starter when the season started last year.
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) March 6, 2020
Shane Bieber is our starter for Opening Day on March 26th. pic.twitter.com/xfnLBQFDct
It’s been a meteoric rise for Bieber. After a relatively pedestrian rookie year in 2018, Bieber rocketed to stardom in his sophomore campaign. The right-hander pitched to a 3.28 ERA in 214.1 innings, making the All-Star team and getting fourth place in the Cy Young Award voting along the way. He’s just 24 years old and figures to be a fixture atop the Cleveland rotation for years to come.
With Mike Clevinger still sidelined after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his knee and Corey Kluber being traded to the Rangers, Bieber was the clear favorite for the nod.