Mariners ace Logan Gilbert's ugly spring training debut was hiding an exciting new look.

Four games into Spring Training, Mariners fans finally got their first glimpse of Logan Gilbert on Monday afternoon. From a bird’s eye view—and perhaps even from certain vantage points in the stands—it wasn’t the sharpest outing. The box score confirmed as much: Gilbert exited in the top of the second inning after reaching his pitch count, logging just one inning of work while allowing two hits, two earned runs, two walks, and striking out three.

Sure, all three outs came via strikeout, but the lingering question remaine: What was up with his command?

“I did try something new,” Gilbert admitted postgame, per Mariners insider Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports. “It is a little early so…it’s a version of a sinker that was really good in the bullpen, but (I) didn’t throw a strike with it in the game. We’re getting there. Baby steps.”

And with that, Mariners fans could exhale.

Gilbert, much like many of Seattle’s starters, is a tinkerer. He’s made a habit of tweaking his arsenal, constantly refining and adding pitches that keep hitters off balance. Just when opponents think they’ve figured him out, he unveils a new wrinkle—like the sudden emergence of a triple-digit fastball last season that caught many by surprise.

Statistically, Gilbert’s sinker has been more of a novelty than a staple. He threw just 44 of them all last season, making up a mere 1.4% of his total pitches. In contrast, his slider was his most used pitch, making up 32% of his pitch usage. It was followed closely by his four-seam fastball at 31%, showcasing an even distribution. If this “version” of a sinker, as he called it, becomes a regular part of his repertoire, it could give him yet another elite weapon in an already diverse pitch mix.

What exactly did he mean by a "version" of a sinker?

That remains a mystery. However, there’s reason to speculate. Gilbert already has a splitter in his arsenal, which opens the door to an intriguing possibility—could he be experimenting with a "splinker"?

For those unfamiliar, the “splinker” (a hybrid of a splitter and a sinker) took the baseball world by storm last season, with Paul Skenes using it to devastating effect. The pitch, which combines the late drop of a splitter with the horizontal movement of a sinker, has proven to be nearly unhittable. While Gilbert hasn’t confirmed he’s working on such a pitch, it wouldn’t be out of character for him to experiment with something along those lines.

What we do know is that this new pitch is still a work in progress. Gilbert admitted he didn’t throw it for a strike once in his outing, meaning he’s still fine-tuning its movement and command. But if he figures it out? It could be a game-changer.

So while Monday’s outing may not have looked great on paper, it was far from a cause for concern. Instead, it was a glimpse into the evolution of one of Seattle’s most dynamic pitchers—a reminder that Logan Gilbert is always searching for new ways to dominate. And that, for Mariners fans, should be nothing short of exciting.