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Mariners vs Blue Jays: Gilbert shines, Canzone cooks, and Raleigh hits bombs

In another somewhat disappointing three-game set, the offense struggled to get going until the last second but these players still found ways to stand out

By Jason Wang |
Seattle Mariners v Toronto Blue Jays
Seattle Mariners v Toronto Blue Jays / Mark Blinch/GettyImages
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Mariners fans are all too familiar with the team's slow starts. It's a recurring theme that the team gets people excited during the offseason, lies dormant for the first month or so of the season, and then becomes a serious playoff contender around August. While many fans are still waiting on the superstars of the team to take off, some of the lesser-known faces are holding down the fort.

Mariners' Best Hitter: Dominic Canzone

.429/.600/1.000, 3 H, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI, 3 BB

Canzone had a monstrous three-game stretch and is overall having a pretty darn good season. While his 1.600 OPS from the Toronto series is clearly buoyed by a small sample size, he's slashing .233/.303/.567 over a slightly larger sample size of 33 plate appearances he's had this season. He's seen action in every game and is proving to be a real candidate for most-improved since 2023.

In addition to striking out just twice while racking up three walks, his power was on display as he notched his first double and third home run of the year. The long ball was a 399-foot no-doubter against a Chris Bassitt sinker that stayed in the strike zone a little too long. His plate discipline is still quite bad (bottom quartile of qualified hitters thus far) but his 90th percentile barrel-rate has helped boost his productivity.

Honorable Mention: Cal Raleigh

.182/.250/.727, 2 H, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB

Cal didn't hit the ball often and he struck out five times over just 12 plate appearances, but when he made contact boy oh boy did he hit it hard, with both of his hits ending up in the seats. His first homer was against a Chad Green slider that was fun but not enough to close the gap in the ninth inning of the first game. His second homer was far more meaningful. After being tied at one-run a piece, the game went into the tenth inning where Raleigh's two-run homer ignited what would eventually become a five-run inning for Seattle.

Raleigh has never hit for an exceptionally-high average but his current mark of .194 is even lower than expected. He's definitely not the only one and the Mariners currently have the third-lowest batting average in MLB at .207, so hopefully the team starts to find their groove sooner rather than later.

Best Mariners' Pitcher: Logan Gilbert

7.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 R, BB, 8 K

It's no secret that the rotation has been struggling recently. Although they were originally billed by some as the best starting rotation in baseball, Seattle currently has the third-highest starter ERA at 5.83, ahead of just the Nationals and the Rockies. With back-to-back shaky starts from George Kirby and Luis Castillo, Gilbert stepped up in a big way to hopefully resuscitate his compatriots.

In a performance that slightly exceeded his electric first start of the season against the Red Sox, Gilbert was dealing nasty stuff against a competitive Toronto lineup. He had 15 swings and misses, nine of which came from his slider which is one of the most underrated in baseball.

He's currently leading the team in ERA at 2.66 although Bryce Miller is close at 3.00. Aside from his great strikeout ability and diverse arsenal, his stamina is invaluable, especially in the day and age of constant pitcher arm injuries. By going deeper into starts, he consistently gives his fellow pitchers in the bullpen more rest and more days off.

Honorable Mention: Ryne Stanek

1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

Like the rotation, the bullpen has had its fair share of issues. One new face that has been remarkably consistent in his five appearances thus far has been Stanek. He continues to find himself in high-leverage situations and had the Mariners not scored so many runs in the tenth inning of the final game of the series, he likely would have earned his second save of the season. While Muñoz is still the main closer for now, Stanek seems to be making a great case for taking over the role.

Right now, opposing batters are whiffing 40.6% of the time and striking out 29.4% of the time. He has given up some hard contact on his four-seam fastball but his splitter has not yet given up a hit. He was also the only reliever to appear in more than one game and not conced any earned runs.

Best Mariners' Moment: Logan Gilbert's Inspiring Performance

As I stated earlier, this pitching masterclass from Logan Gilbert was much-needed. In April alone, Seattle pitchers have given up 83 hits and 12 home runs. With an average-at-best hitting performance thus far, it makes sense why the team has struggled to win games. Luis Castillo and George Kirby will have to return to form quickly and their starts in April have been uncharacteristically rocky, but perhaps this showing from Logan Gilbert was what they need to get back on track.

A big conversation going into the season centered around "who is the Mariners' ace?". After watching Kirby and Castillo in 2023, it seemed like a fair question. It was even reflected in the Cy Young odds to start the season, as both of them were towards the front of the pack.

It's Gilbert though who was sitting there just below them, and he is the only one currently showing why. If this is the Logan Gilbert that we are going to get all year, he's going to push towards the top of the pack and make a real run at the award. His next start will come at home against the Reds.

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