The Indians purchased Bieber's contract on May 31,2018,and added him to their active roster.[13] He made his major league debut that evening,starting against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. He pitched 5+2⁄3 innings, giving up four runs (all earned) and eight hits while walking one and striking out six as the Indians defeated Minnesota 9–8.[14] Bieber finished his rookie season with an 11–5 record, a 4.55 ERA, and 118 strikeouts in 20 appearances.[15]
Owning a 7–3 record with a 3.54 ERA over 18 games (17 starts) to begin the 2019 season, Bieber was named an MLB All-Star for the first time, for the All-Star Game played at Progressive Field in Cleveland.[16] He struck out the side on 19 pitches in the fifth inning as the American League won, 4–3. He received the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award.[17] Bieber finished the season with a 15–8 record in 34 games (33 starts). In 214+1⁄3 innings, he struck out 259 batters. For the season, he received mention for the Cy Young Award voting for the first time, placing fourth in the American League.[18]
2020: Cy Young, Pitching Triple Crown
The Indians made Bieber their Opening Day starting pitcher in 2020. They faced the Kansas City Royals on July 24, 2020, at Progressive Field. Bieber struck out 14 batters in six innings in a 2–0 victory, setting a team record for most strikeouts by a starting pitcher on Opening Day.[19] In his next start on July 30 versus the Minnesota Twins, he struck out 13 batters in eight innings, tying Karl Spooner for the most strikeouts by a pitcher in their first two starts in a season.[20]
In August, Bieber started six games and recorded a 1.63 ERA with 57 strikeouts, including five starts with double figures in strikeouts. Upon reaching 50 innings for the season, Bieber had tallied 84 strikeouts, the most by a starting pitcher in MLB history in that span, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. At the end of the month, he had led the majors in ERA (1.20), strikeouts (84), wins (six), and innings (52+2⁄3). He was named American League Pitcher of the Month, his first monthly award in the major leagues.[21] Bieber reached 100 strikeouts at the 62+1⁄3-inning mark versus Minnesota, the fastest in terms of innings pitched in one season in MLB history, passing Max Scherzer with 63 innings in 2018.[22]
For the 2020 season, Bieber became the first pitcher since Justin Verlander (who won in 2011 with the Detroit Tigers), to capture the American League pitching triple crown (8 wins, 1.63 ERA, 122 strikeouts) as the AL leader in each of the three categories.[23] He also led the AL in WAR (3.2), won-loss percentage (.889), fewest hits per 9 IP (5.353), and strikeouts per 9 IP (14.198).[24]
In the 2020 American League Wild Card Series against the New York Yankees, Bieber allowed seven runs on nine hits in 4+2⁄3 innings, and the Indians were defeated 12–3.[25] They lost the best-of-three series, 2–0, following a 10–9 loss on Game 2. After the season, Bieber was awarded the AL Cy Young Award.
2021
Bieber was the Indians' Opening Day starter for the 2021 season. On June 14, Bieber was placed on the injured list with a subscapularis strain. He was later transferred to the 60-day injured list on July 25.[26] Bieber was activated off of the injured list on September 24.
2022
On March 22, 2022, Bieber signed a $6 million contract with the Guardians, avoiding salary arbitration.[27]
On January 13, 2023, Bieber agreed to a one-year, $10.01 million contract with the Guardians for the 2023 season, avoiding salary arbitration.[30] After being placed on the 15-day injured list July 15 with elbow inflammation, Bieber was transferred to the 60-day injured list on July 24.[31] On September 22, Bieber was activated from the injured list and slotted as the starting pitcher that day against the Baltimore Orioles.[32]
2024
Bieber started the 2024 season allowing no runs and winning both of his starts while striking out a league–leading 20 batters in 12 innings pitched. However, on April 6, 2024, it was announced that Bieber would undergo Tommy John surgery to repair his ulnar collateral ligament, ending his season.[33]
On December 11, 2024, Bieber re-signed with the Guardians on a one-year major league contract with a player option for the 2026 season.[34]
Toronto Blue Jays
On July 31, 2025, the Guardians traded Bieber to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Khal Stephen.[35] He was activated for his Blue Jays debut and returned from surgery on August 22.[36]
Personal life
Bieber in his Not Justin Jersey
Bieber and longtime girlfriend, Kara, got engaged in July 2021.[37] They got married on January 21, 2023 in Malibu. During the baseball season, Bieber resides in Westlake, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland.[38] With the same last name as Canadian singer Justin Bieber, the Cleveland pitcher chose "Not Justin" as his nickname for Players Weekend in 2019.[39] Justin was seen wearing a "Not Shane Bieber" jersey a few weeks later.[39] Bieber later gifted Justin an Indians jersey.[40] That same year, a Topps baseball card mistakenly called the pitcher "Justin" on the back of the card, with both Biebers joking about the mistake on Twitter.[41]
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