🔥 HOT NEWS: Logan Gilbert’s season review drops and the verdict is clear — the best version of Seattle’s starter is yet to arrive ⚡.MH
The Seattle Mariners reached heights never before seen in its 48-year history this past season.
Seattle was one win away from the World Series for the first time ever and ultimately fell to the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.
The Mariners were able to have their greatest playoff run ever despite dealing with key injuries the whole season, namely to the pitching staff.
In 2024, Seattle boasted the only staff in baseball that had four pitchers start 30 or more games. In 2025, four-of-five starters and a No. 6 starter (Logan Evans) missed time.
One of those hurlers included Opening Day starter Logan Gilbert. The 2024 All-Star was out from April 26-June 16 with a right elbow flexor strain.
Here’s an overview of Gilbert’s season.
Logan Gilbert by the numbers
Games played: 25
Pitching stats: 3.44 ERA, 6-6 Record, 131 IP, 173 SOs, 1.03 WHIP, .211 Opp. BA.
What I liked
In 2024, Gilbert joined the 200/200 (200 innings pitched, 200 strikeouts) for the first time in his career.
Gilbert wasn’t able to replicate the length he had in ’24, even when healthy, but his strikeout numbers remained among the best in baseball.
Gilbert had a strikeout rate of 32.3%, which ranked in the 94th percentile in the majors, according to Baseball Savant. He generated a whiff rate of 32.9% (93rd percentile) and a walk-rate of 5.8% (86th percentile). His strikeout rate improved almost five percent whereas his whiff rate jumped over one percent to his respective numbers in ’24 (27.4% and 31.7%, respectively).
Gilbert’s splitter remained one of the most dangerous offerings in the sport.
Opponents averaged just .119 against Gilbert’s splitter. He generated a whiff rate of 50.4% and a put-away rate of 27.6% with it.
Gilbert’s arsenal outside of his splitter remained steady. He only had five different pitches registered in 2025 compared to his usual seven-pitch arsenal. Opponents averaged more than .227 against just one of his offerings, which was his slider (.255 opposing batting average).
Best games
Due to his injury and tendency for high pitch-counts this past year, Gilbert only made it through six innings in seven of his 25 starts. On the other hand, Gilbert fanned at least seven batters in 15 of his turns on the mound. In one of those outings, he was able to put together both the length and strikeouts en route to a new career-high.
In a game against the Athletics on Aug. 24, in front of his home crowd at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Gilbert went six innings, struck out 13, walked one and allowed one earned run on three hits (one home run) on 93 pitches.
Gilbert’s 13 strikeouts set a new single-game career-best.
Future prospects
Gilbert will play under his third year of arbitration in 2026 and is projected to earn $11.5 million, according to Spotrac.
There’s been speculation Gilbert could be the next homegrown player line for a contract extension, joining center fielder Julio Rodriguez and catcher (and former roommate) Cal Raleigh. Gilbert has also confirmed that there have been discussions, albeit “loose” ones, with Seattle on a new deal.
The question is whether the Mariners will be willing to pay that extension. That likely depends on whether or not the club’s value in Gilbert has changed this past season.
Gilbert is an ace and deservedly got dark horse Cy Young consideration before this season. There’s a very real argument to be had he hasn’t reached his peak yet.
With the emergence of 2025 All-Star Bryan Woo, who is under team control longer than Gilbert; Logan Evans’ serviceable performance in Gilbert’s stead; and top 100 starting pitching prospects (Jurrangelo Cijntje, Ryan Sloan, Kade Anderson) waiting in the minor leagues, there might be more hesitation on Seattle’s part to pay Gilbert than there was before the season.
Final grade: B
Gilbert was named the 2025 Opening Day starter for a reason. Before he got hurt, Gilbert was well on his way to earning the second All-Star nod of his career. He posted a 2.37 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 30.1 innings pitched across six starts before he landed on the shelf.
As mentioned before, the Stetson College product didn’t have the length in his outings nor the health he had in ’24, but there’s reason to suspect that won’t correct itself in 2026.
Even in a season that was a step back from the one before, Gilbert was the starter who gave the M’s the best chance to win when he was on the mound aside from Woo. Gilbert was tied for second on the starting rotation in fWAR (FanGraphs) WAR with 2.6. Luis Castillo, the only starter not to miss any time this year, also had a 2.6 fWAR.
Gilbert is an ace with elite stuff. Even when he wasn’t at his best this year, he proved he’s still one of the best hurlers in the American League.
