Just How Good Has Logan Gilbert Been So Far?

Logan Gilbert has had quite the start to the 2022 season for the Mariners. How good has he been? Well, the short answer… really good.

At just 4 inches shorter than the great Randy Johnson up there on the mound, Logan Gilbert has quietly turned himself into a force to be reckoned with on this Seattle squad. With hair poking out the back of his cap, he really does resemble “The Big Unit” in many ways.

Logan Gilbert has surprised many and started 2022 as one of the best pitchers in baseball.

Gilbert, drafted in the first round by the M’s back in 2018, made his debut just last year. He definitely found his groove in the latter half of the year but ended up with a 6-5 record and a 4.68 ERA.

Fast forward to this year’s first month of the season, you would have to basically move the decimal point over one spot, as Logan Gilbert is rocking an MLB-leading 0.54 ERA. That’s REALLY good. Not only that, but opponents are hitting 30 points lower against him compared to last year. Top that all off with the fact that he’s only walked 1 batter in 3 appearances to start the year.

I believe the addition of Robbie Ray has something to do with his recent success. Coming in last year, trying to push for a playoff appearance, figuring out how your pitches work in the majors, AND trying to get in your own groove mentally has to be tough. Going into this last offseason, Gilbert had time to prepare, relax, work on his stuff and come back ready to roll. And oh has he done exactly that.

When you come into an environment as Seattle has right now, with smiles and great attitudes and hope for the future, that has to create the exact environment to breed success. When we have a fanbase so excited about the reigning Cy-Young award winner coming to town, that takes the pressure off of Gilbert, which we have seen to be truly what he needed.

Gone are the days of desperation and expectation for a young kid to come up from the minors and dominate opposing hitters on day one. Logan Gilbert has learned from last year, has worked his butt off this past offseason, and is ready to prove that this small sample size we’ve seen so far is truly here to stay.