Former GU pitcher Casey Legumina fitting in nicely with surging Mariners: ‘Part of the family’
ARLINGTON, Texas – A year later, Casey Legumina feels right at home.
Legumina, a middle reliever acquired by the Seattle Mariners in February 2025, has bounced back from an up-and-down debut season with the club to post some impressive numbers early in Year 2. Entering Tuesday’s game at San Diego, the former Gonzaga right-hander has yet to give up a run in five appearances while striking out six overseven-plus innings.
It’s a far cry from last season, when Legumina posted a 5.62 ERA in 48 games. The biggest difference this year, he said, is he’s much more comfortable being a returnee rather than the new guy in the M’s bullpen.
“Last year was a lot more getting to know people on a personal level where this year it’s a lot easier,” Legumina said. “You know a lot about the guys, have been around them, and interacted with them, so it’s a lot smoother and just feels like part of the family full time. It’s great.”
That stability, he said, is what helped the Mariners make their run a season ago, it’s what helped them overcome a slow start this year, and it’s what drives them to their ultimate goal.
“It’s all the same game,” Legumina said. “I wouldn’t say anything has changed, a few different faces here, but for the most part it’s all the same.
“Same mission as last year – get to the World Series and win it.”
Left off the postseason roster last fall when the Mariners came within a game of reaching the Series for the first time, Legumina says it was still an amazing experience.
“It was awesome,” he said. “You could really feel, especially towards the end, how much the games really mattered. It made you want to get out there and help win that pennant.”
If he keeps pitching like he has in 2026, he could get that chance this season. Mariners manager Dan Wilson says he’s been impressed with his aggressiveness through the first few weeks of the season.
“Right now, he’s attacking the zone, he’s getting ahead. When he’s able to do that is when he has his greatest success,” Wilson said. “He’s got great weapons. He’s got the pitches to do it. He’s put himself in good counts and has been aggressive. Being able to use the top of the zone, (he) uses his breaking stuff below the zone when he gets in those two-strike counts (which) has been huge for him. Done a really nice job.”
Legumina really made the most of his offseason to put himself in this position this year. What’s the biggest difference from a year ago?
“Really just trusting myself,” he said. “I had some success at the big-league level and some failures.
“It’s really just sifting through it, taking all the good points out of it and just working on them and getting better in the offseason. I feel I made some adjustments in that department, and it’s helped me so far. I’m trying to keep making adjustments and keep getting better.”
Stephen Hunt is a freelance writer based in Frisco, Texas.