3 reasons Mariners fans loved April, 2 worries that still remain

#1 Mariners' Positive: The Big 3

Let's just go ahead and give a paragraph or so to each of them. It's Luis Castillo, George Kirby, and Logan Gilbert that I'm talking about, as they form an incredibly dangerous three-headed monster at the front of the rotation.

La Piedra, after worrying some fans with his start to the season, proved that it was the underlying numbers that we needed to look at, and not just the ERA. With a 3.29 FIP in his first three starts, you just knew he was going to turn it around despite the 6.89 ERA. The last four starts showed exactly that, as he has 26 innings with a 1.38 ERA and 31 strikeouts, and just gave the Braves a whooping on Tuesday night.

George Kirby started off real similar to Castillo, struggling in his first couple of outings. He had an 8.16 ERA but a 2.88 FIP through three starts. Those numbers are always a good indicator of future performance, and he showed way as well. He's given up two runs, two walks, and struck out 25 over his last three starts, good for a 1.00 ERA and a 1.44 FIP. Kirby is exerting himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball again, and it's just a joy to watch.

Then, there's my boy Logan Gilbert aka Walter. He struggled against Milwaukee, giving up three homers. Since then, he is rocking a 1.32 ERA across 27.1 innings in four starts, with a slash line of .149/.206/.266 against him. Add in a 0.769 WHIP, and you can see why Gilbert was given the honors of the best #3 starter on any team in baseball. Personally, it's not even close, and Gilbert is showing he's probably a top 15 pitcher in baseball.