Excluding the shortened 2020 COVID campaign, the Seattle Mariners have annually fielded one of baseball's strongest pitching staffs since the turn of the decade. The team's rotation has been particularly remarkable during this stretch and the backbone of their moderate success. Noncoincidentally, that's also when ace Logan Gilbert entered the mix.
Gilbert instantly emerged as a key cog for the Mariners upon debuting in the Majors in 2021. He's lived up to the first-round/top prospect pedigree, demonstrating high-end consistency and swing-and-miss stuff. However, things haven't gone as smoothly for him since an electrifying return outing from his first career injured list stint.
On June 16 against the Boston Red Sox, Gilbert struck out 10 batters while only allowing three hits and two earned runs, appearing healthy and rejuvenated. Nonetheless, it's been downhill from that point forward. Including the gaudy numbers from that performance, the pre- and post-elbow flexor strain in his throwing arm splits is a noteworthy and concerning development. But if/when he returns to form is vital to Seattle's postseason hopes, perhaps even more so than the acquisition of All-Star third baseman Eugenio Suárez.
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Logan Gilbert holds the keys to the Mariners' World Series aspirations
Suárez ultimately didn't cost Seattle the "astronomical" haul the Arizona Diamondbacks wanted for him. Yet, they still gave up three of their top 17-ranked farm system pieces, which isn't an insignificant package. You don't make a move of that magnitude, especially for someone on an expiring contract, without expectations of contending for a championship. Gilbert bouncing back presumably factored into the Mariners' calculus and willingness to make an aggressive gamble.
Time and time again, we've seen that pitching prevails in October. At full strength, Gilbert is a frontline hurler and workhorse who can anchor Seattle's starting five. Should the right-hander rebound and reach the heights Mariners fans know he's proven capable of, the club would boast the MLB's premier rotation.
Luis Castillo and Bryan Woo are more than formidable running mates. They, plus a recalibrated Gilbert, form arguably the best 1-2-3 punch in the league. Seattle must unlock the hurler who earned his first All-Star nod and finished sixth on the American League Cy Young ballot in 2024. Doing so is the key to how far they go in the playoffs, or if they make it.