2 pitches from Mariners starters jump out to Rowland-Smith

One pitch can really make all the difference, and that seems to be the case with a pair of Seattle Mariners starting pitchers right now – in opposing ways.

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Mariners analyst and former MLB southpaw Ryan Rowland-Smith focused on a single pitch in the repertoire for both Logan Gilbert, who’s been on a stellar run of late, and Emerson Hancock, whose breakout 2026 season has hit of a rough patch, when he joined Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob on Monday.

Rowland-Smith explained how Gilbert’s fastball has gotten the most recent American League Player of the Week on track, as well as how the sweeper that Hancock used to great success has slipped in recent outings.

Here’s what Rowland-Smith had to say.

Logan Gilbert’s electric fastball

“He’s 6 foot 6, plus-extension, backspinning that fastball, upper 90s – throw that pitch more often. … Everything is so much better from him because he’s fastball-heavy.

“I’ve noticed with him that he tried to be fastball-heavy in the month of April, for example, missing it arm side, up and away, up and away. … I just think he’s found that fastball, and it’s not just the command of it – he’s prioritized it. I think he’s prioritized to say, this is a pitch I’m going to try and get swing and miss with, or this is a pitch I’m going to try and set someone up with. Not just, oh, I have to throw my fastball more, or, hey, throw it on the black. No, it’s more of a priority in regards to this is a pitch to get people out, man. And all the stuff is light years better when he does that.”

Emerson Hancock’s sweeper struggles

“I’ve seen it in the last three (starts for Hancock) – I go back to the start in Baltimore. I know he went five innings, one run, man, he got off the hook there with Pete Alonso with loaded bases. … Just the sweeper, he’s lost the feel for that pitch. His arm angle’s dipped even more now. And I just think that flashes of getting back, just like Cole Young had a bad May and he’s having a much better month of June. There’s flashes of the sweeper showing up again.

“The arm angle went up a little bit as well, which is great. There’s flashes of it. I just think he lost that sweeper, no swing and miss against it, couldn’t land it. The velocity was down a couple of miles per hour. And he just lost that feel for the arm slot as well, but I think he’s getting it back. I really do. I love Emerson, we all do, and we all want him to do well. … That’s all we talked about in April was the sweeper. He hasn’t had that pitch. He just hasn’t, and that’s the last three starts.”

Hear the full Wyman and Bob conversation with Seattle Mariners TV analyst Ryan Rowland-Smith in the podcast at this link or in the player below. Catch Wyman and Bob live from 2-7 p.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports.

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