STEAMER sees regression for Mariners Logan Gilbert in 2023

It's really easy to be a fan of the Mariners rotation. Luis Castillo is a Cy Young candidate. Robbie Ray already has a Cy Young. George Kirby is a command master and many fans out there think that he is going to be in the running for a Cy Young soon. Marco is a great dude and a good pitcher, and Flexen is solid as well. Somehow, it seems like fans forget a bit about Logan Gilbert.

Now, people still know about him. Fans still love him. What I mean is that they seem to push him aside in favor of the other guys, when he should instead be right there alongside them... if not ahead of all but Castillo.

"Walter" as he is affectionately known had a stellar 2022. You can see why, after looking at the numbers, why I feel like he is being pushed aside and forgotten about a bit heading into 2023.

2021 - 24 GS, 119.1 IP, 9.65 K/9, 2.11 BB/9, 1.28 HR/9, .293 BABIP, 3.73 FIP, 4.68 ERA, 2.2 fWAR
2022 - 32 GS, 185.2 IP, 8.43 K/9, 2.38 BB/9, 0.92 HR/9, .292 BABIP, 3.46 FIP, 3.20 ERA, 3.2 fWAR
STEAMER - 31 GS, 176 IP, 8.84 K/9, 2.41 BB/9, 1.24 HR/9, .286 BABIP, 3.86 FIP, 3.84 ERA, 2.2 fWAR

Those 2022 numbers are pretty darn good if you ask me. Shoot, when you look at pitchers with 130 IP or more in 2022, Logan Gilbert was T-33 out of 90 for fWAR. The kid had a great season. Yet, he is being predicted to drop down to his rookie season performance for 2023.

This is the one I just don't get.

If anything, keep it in line with last year. Give him a 3.65 ERA (around his career FIP), about a K per inning and just over a HR per inning, but that fWAR should probably be in the same realm at around 3.0 fWAR. If it seems odd to whine about a single win, remember that this is baseball. That can be the difference in a 162 game season that so often comes down to the final series for deciding who makes the playoffs.

I think STEAMER is a bit off with this one.