Top Mariners pitching prospect Logan Gilbert shines again in 2nd spring start

Logan Gilbert will not break Mariners camp with the big club, but he continues to impress – not that that appears to be a big surprise for anyone in the organization. In his second Cactus Leauge start, Gilbert threw two innings of hitless ball in the Mariners’ 3-1 win Tuesday over the Angels, striking out three and issuing no walks.

Who have been the Mariners’ most impressive young hitters this spring?

“Wow,” manager Scott Servais said about Gilbert after the game. “Really, really good stuff today. Really composed out there. He is getting comfortable. He knows it’s not going to be long; he’s going to help us in Seattle here real soon.”

Though the Angels’ lineup was missing a number of stars, Gilbert did come away with a strikeout of a current star in Shohei Ohtani and a future star in Jo Adell, the Angels’ top prospect.

“I thought it was funny,” Servais mused after the game. “Logan Gilbert is going to face Jo Adell a lot over the next few years. That’s good. That’s what these games are for. See good young players.”

Strong day at the office. 💪#MarinersST x @logangilbert22 pic.twitter.com/3iA8LrUsJ9

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) March 10, 2020

As for the older guy?

“It was pretty cool,” Gilbert said of facing Ohtani. “He’s a big deal. I’ve seen him on TV for a few years now. To be able to face him is pretty cool.”

Gilbert delivered against the Angels using his full array of pitches. They are all finished pitches in terms of being able to bring into a game, and at this point it is a matter of fine tuning and improving. According to Gilbert, that is always part of his process.

“Right now the focus is really location-based where last year it was more the action of the pitch,” he said. “If I can go to my location, the strategies that work well for me, that’s what we are working on right now. The real test will be taking it to the mound. I felt like I did a good job of that today but it is always a work in progress.”

What’s next for Gilbert? Possibly another Cactus League start. If it happens it will be a similar outing to what we saw Tuesday as the Mariners will not build him up due to the minor league season not starting until April 9. There is still much to be taken from his experience this spring.

“He’s got plenty of time to go,” said Servais. “We will keep him at two-inning outings here but I really like what we have seen and how he is wired. He’s got a bright future ahead of him.”

Gilbert is getting the kind of valuable experience the Mariners are hoping to get several of their prospects.

“I think the experience that our young players are getting in these games, even though they are not regular season games, is important,” Servais said. “They know the guys they are facing. They are going to see them over and over.”

Mariners cuts update

After the game was the first opportunity to talk to Servais about cuts that were made earlier in the day. As pitchers build up and regulars need more reps, innings become tough to manage. The Mariners had three ‘B’ games scheduled this week to help get players work, which is not ideal but necessary with minor league camp getting off to a late start this spring.

Servais confirmed that it is a possibility that they could go without a fourth outfielder to begin the regular season as three of their utility infielder candidates could play out there. This did not bode well for Braden Bishop, who was outrighted Tuesday to Triple-A. According to Servais, the door to the big leagues is still very much open for Bishop.

“Bish didn’t have a great camp offensively,” Servais said. “He had an awesome camp last spring but the consistency that a lot of young players need to show is going to be key for him. He’s got things to work on. I think he will be in our picture at some point of the season. A lot of the guys that we sent out of camp, it won’t be the last time we see them. It is a year of opportunity for us. If some guys struggle (or) there’s injury, we will give other guys opportunity. Braden will be back.”

Notes

• Dylan Moore had to leave Tuesday’s game after getting hit on the wrist with a 93 mph fastball from Dylan Bundy. Initial test results came back negative. “I think we might have got lucky,” said Servais. “It did not look good or sound good but the initial makes it look like it is going to be OK. We should know more tomorrow.” Moore had just returned to the lineup after a sore calf kept him out of action Monday, and he missed time earlier this spring with a concussion.

• There will be a night game Wednesday for the Mariners, with live coverage on 710 ESPN Seattle beginning at 6:30 p.m., but the tarp is already on the field with rain in the forecast. If they are able to play, Marco Gonzales will make the start.

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