Mariners’ Logan Gilbert’s major life change leads to new perspective
PEORIA, Ariz. – Logan Gilbert tried something different for his first live batting practice of spring training earlier this week.
No, it wasn’t introducing a new pitch. He hasn’t added one this offseason. Even though he admitted, “I’m always messing around with something.”
It wasn’t a new variation of his delivery which always seems to have a different wrinkle or tweak to help manage his lanky 6-foot-7 frame.
Nope, Gilbert jogged to the mound to face teammates – Leo Rivas, Josh Naylor, Rob Refsnyder and Victor Robles – on Field 1 wearing long baseball pants. It was an unexpected look. Since he’s made his MLB debut and even dating back to his college days at Stetson, Gilbert has always worn the short knicker-style pants with the high socks. It somehow makes him look even taller and more gangly.
“I’ve been wanting to try it,” he said. “I felt like this was a good time to try it.
And when he finished the outing?
“I don’t think I will be doing that again,” he said. “It just didn’t feel right. It will be high socks the next time.”
Gilbert’s first time facing live batters seemed a little like some of his outings last season – deep counts with swings and misses from hitters while fighting to find command of his slider and fastball. His displeasure with a few misplaced pitches was noticeable
In past spring trainings, such an outing might have left Gilbert frustrated to the point of jumping back on the mound for “dry work,” or endlessly examining his mechanics on video. The need for answers to what was some expected inconsistency in a somewhat meaningless step toward regular-season readiness would prevail.
Not this spring.
The clarity comes in the form of his newborn son, Henry, who was born on Nov. 3 and looks even smaller in Gilbert’s massive hands.
“It changes everything,” Gilbert said. “It’s been the coolest thing. Everything’s different in the best way. Every day is so exciting. Coming home and when he sees me and his face lights up, that’s just the best feeling out there.”
Henry and Gilbert’s wife, Aviles, are frequent mornings spectators at the Mariners’ workouts.
“I can’t wait to show him everything this season,” Gilbert said.
His giddiness about fatherhood can’t be hidden. Heck, Henry could make Gilbert’s angry and ruthless alter-ego, Walter, even smile a little.
“It’s hard to put in words,” Gilbert said. “It’s everything people say it is, but you don’t really know till you have a kid. I just remember the first time holding him, he just seemed so vulnerable. And it clicks in your head, it’s like, ‘this is your kid, your responsibility, you and your wife.’ I’ve seen changes already, just like the way you look at life, your perspective, what matters, all that kind of stuff. It feels like a more well-rounded balance. It’s not just live and die on how my bullpen went today. That still matters. Don’t get me wrong. But it’s like going home to him and my wife and having them out here, life is good.”
A new perspective for Gilbert wasn’t necessarily needed, but it was also welcomed. He’s coming off a season where he missed seven weeks while dealing with the always ominous forearm injury. When he returned, he fought through inconsistent command, particularly with his breaking pitches. While he was striking people out at a career-best rate (32.3%), generating plenty of swings and misses with his split-finger fastball, he was also struggling to find efficiency within a start and pitch deeper into games.
His only outing of seven complete innings last season came on opening day, when he allowed one run on two hits with no walks and eight strikeouts to beat the A’s. On April 25, his sixth start of the season, Gilbert felt tightness in his forearm and exited the game after three innings. He was placed on the injured list the following day for the first time in his career.
“When you end up on the IL, it’s like you have to figure things out again, he said. I was like, ‘Oh wait, I’m human, just like anybody else.’”
Gilbert came off the IL on June 16 to a rotation in desperate need of his return. The Mariners were cautious with his workload, not letting him go over 100 pitches in any outing. He made 19 starts upon his return, posting a 6-6 record with a 3.44 ERA. In 131 1/3 innings pitched, he struck out 173 hitters while walking 31 and giving up 20 homers. But he also pitched into the seventh inning in only three of those occasions. Strikeouts are good and pitching deep into games is also good. He couldn’t quite seem to do both.
“It’s a balance and the best do that,” he said. “But it’s hard too, because strikeouts are more pitches. The year before I know my WHIP (walks plus hits over innings pitched) was really low (0.89 in 2024, 1.03 in 2025). Maybe my efficiency was similar and I just let less people on base so I could go six or seven innings most times. I haven’t figured it all out. Part of it is just the more often you execute a pitch in a good spot, good things happen.”
The struggles with feel and command crept into his last outing in the postseason. After going six innings and allowing one run on four hits to beat the Tigers in Game 3 of the American League Division Series, he pitched two key scoreless innings in Seattle’s dramatic 15-inning win in Game 5 and then started Game 2 of the American League Championship Series three days later. He started Game 5 in Toronto and made it just four innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits with a walk and three strikeouts. The Blue Jays wouldn’t give in and chase the splitter.
“Personally, I felt good enough, but you want to be completely, 100%, the best version of yourself,” he said of the postseason. “I felt really close to it. But I just wanted that last little bit more. I’ve tasted what my very best is at different times. Unfortunately, you can’t line it up perfectly.”
In his 2024 All-Star season, he became the first Mariners player to ever lead MLB in innings pitched (208 2/3). He also struck out 220 batters, becoming just the sixth player in team history to reach 200-plus innings pitched/200-plus strikeouts in a season. He led the team in quality starts (six-plus innings pitched, three runs or fewer allowed). He wants that again.
“It was definitely tough for me,” he said. “That’s always something I took a lot of pride in, and it could almost be a little unhealthy way, too, because there’s only so much you can control. But it was part of my identity as a baseball player. It’s always the biggest goal for me is 32 starts, 200 innings. That’s the only thing I really care about. Everything else will take care of itself. So I want to get back to that. I want to be the guy that’s durable and deep in games and all that kind of stuff. So hopefully this is the year.”