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Logan Gilbert believes the Mariners will be at their best in 2024.
PEORIA, Arizona — Logan Gilbert has won 32 games for the Seattle Mariners in the last three seasons.
He made 32 starts in 2022 and finished 13–6 with a 3.20 earned run average (ERA). Giving up the highest percentage of line drives in the majors (28.9%), he covered 185.2 innings.
Gilbert ended 2023 with a 13-7 record. In his past two seasons, he is 26-13.
Pitchers George Kirby and Luis Castillo may draw more attention to Gilbert than he does, but Gilbert is still a strong candidate for the Cy Young Award and could be an ace on many teams.
“For me, it’s about the consistency and trying to see myself as a frontline starter around the league and you know, being somebody that we can win every time I go out there,” Gilbert stated.
Pete Woodworth, pitching coach for the Mariners, stated, “We have three aces, and yeah he may get overshadowed at times, he’s not one for the spotlight.” That doesn’t seem to be a top concern for him. Being the world’s greatest pitcher is his top priority.”
Although Gilbert’s fastball has always been his go-to pitch, he has put a lot of effort into improving his slider and splitter.
Gilbert remarked, “It’s been a journey already in two years.” It’s strange because it seems like I was only hitting fastballs before, but I’m trying to connect all of that together. I knew I needed to get the other stuff, so I got it, and then the fastball got hit a little bit. Nonetheless, having the slider and splitter has been really beneficial, particularly last year, and being able to hit both lefties and righties with it is very helpful.”
“To watch him work, day in and day out and to see how his work ethic and his production has evolved from Double-A, from his debut in the big leagues to you know, improving his arsenal, adding a slider, adding a splitter, like every year, it just continued to grow and grow and grow,” said Woodworth. “Again, he is still very young, and it has been entertaining to watch this process. Thus, we haven’t even reached the summit of the mountain yet.”
But with the five starting pitchers contributing to the cause, Gilbert believes his team has a chance to win it all this season.
Gilbert described it as “one of the best in the league, from top to bottom.” “We don’t really have any drop-offs or whatever term you want to use. Every team facing us will at some point get a really good starter—any five of us.”