Get To Know Your Mariners: Logan Gilbert’s swift rise up the ranks

Mar 5, 2020, 9:49 AM

Mariners Insider, Seattle Sports

Mariners spring training is full of names and faces you may recognize, but they belong to players who for the most part have yet to have a chance to make an impression to fans. That’s where our new series comes in.

Gallant’s Mariners spring training takeaways: Kelenic looks ready

Shannon Drayer, Mariners insider for 710 ESPN Seattle, is catching up with the highly touted prospects, recent acquisitions and more under-the-radar players throughout spring training in Peoria, Ariz., to provide insight into the Mariners of 2020 and beyond.

In this edition, Shannon is joined by 2018 first-round pick and top pitching prospect Logan Gilbert, who is expected to reach the majors this year.

While the bulk of the Mariners’ top prospect buzz over the past year has been centered around Julio Rodriguez and Jarred Kelenic, it didn’t take long for the “don’t sleep on Logan Gilbert” reminders to start quietly following.

The Mariners’ top pitching prospect has ascended the ranks of the lower minors at breakneck speed since joining the organization, with the only thing slowing him down a vicious case of mono – which in a strange way may have been a bit of a blessing in disguise. That 2018 illness forced the then 21 year old to just stop for awhile after a heavy workload in his junior season at Stetson University.

This spring has given us the opportunity to get eyes on him and see why Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto has stated on multiple occasions that he expects Gilbert will see time in the majors in 2020. Some have gone even further to say that he could be in the majors sooner rather than later this year. That remains to be seen, but so far with the brief glimpses he has given he has impressed. From his first live BP session that prompted an unnamed major leaguer to mutter “We get to face that on day 1?” to his Cactus League debut in the big stadium where you could see not only the four-pitch repertoire but also the impact of his 6-foot-6 size –the extension down the mound, the deception – he’s lived up to his very enthusiastic organizational billing.

Gilbert has done big things at every level but seems unphased by it all. This is what he does. In the video, he tells us a little bit about how he does it. He’s a student of the game, into the metrics, always looking to learn more and interestingly enough, all of this was sparked by a movie. You can probably guess which one.

I get the feeling we are going to have the opportunity to hear from Gilbert quite a bit in the coming years. For now, let’s get to know him a little better.

Follow 710 ESPN Seattle’s Shannon Drayer on Twitter.