Stetson's Logan Gilbert one of MLB's rising young pitching stars

MIAMI — Logan Gilbert had never been to loanDepot park before this weekend, but the rangy Seattle Mariners right-hander felt right at home at the Miami Marlins’ retractable-roof ballpark.

That’s because Gilbert had a nice support group on hand for Sunday's 7-3 win, with about two dozen family members and friends in attendance in the Mariners’ series finale against the Marlins, who saw their seven-game win streak come to an end.

Matched against Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara (2-1) , Gilbert (4-0) gave up one run in 5 2/3 innings, with four walks and five strikeouts. Gilbert had his ERA rise to 0.64 because the last batter he faced, Brian Anderson, homered on Gilbert's 102nd and final pitch. Gilbert exited with a 5-1 lead.

“It’s fun,” Gilbert said. “It means a lot. It’s good to see all the people. I’ve known them for so long. They’ve helped me out in my career. It’s nice to be able to enjoy this with them.

"I had a pretty good crowd last game and this game, with family and friends," Gilbert added after Sunday's win. "They find a way to get here."

This has been a special road trip for Gilbert, who twice had a chance to pitch in his home state. On Sunday, he drew a tough assignment with Alcantara. And in his previous outing, on April 26, he picked up a win against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.

“Good for him,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “When guys get the opportunity to pitch in front of their families, and to pitch close to where they grew up, I think it’s huge. It’s fun. It’s exciting.

“I remember those days, when I was playing, you’d put something extra behind it. It means a little more knowing that those people are in the stands. Those people have been so instrumental in you getting to that point. It’s a little bit of fun payback, to give something back to those people too.”

Gilbert, who turns 25 on Thursday, is one of the rising young starting pitchers in the major leagues. Armed with an upper-90s mph fastball, a wipeout slider and improving change-up, he has the makings of a star.

He showed that in April, which was a historical month for him. Gilbert’s 0.40 ERA topped the American League, and it also is the lowest by any Seattle pitcher (minimum of 20 innings) for any month. Mark Langston previously held the mark with a 0.50 ERA in September 1988.

“It’s kind of fun to look at and think about,” Gilbert said of his jaw-dropping stats. “But we’re just a few starts in. I’m just trying to stick with the same stuff that I’ve been doing.”

What Gilbert is doing is scratching the surface of what is ahead.

“Logan handles things the same, whether he’s on top of the world or he is struggling, you’d never know looking at Logan,” Servais said. “I think that’s something that will serve him well throughout the course of his career.”

To those who followed Gilbert’s career from the beginning, success didn’t always come immediately. He wasn’t regarded as a top recruit coming out of Wekiva High School in Apopka, and he ended up signing with Stetson University.

By his junior year, he was drawing the attention of scouts. In 250 2/3 innings from 2016-18 with the Hatters, Gilbert had a 2.48 ERA. The Mariners made Gilbert the 14th overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft.

Now he’s being mentioned with former Hatters’ standouts, Corey Kluber of the Rays and Jacob deGrom of the New York Mets. That’s pretty elite company, as both have a pair of Cy Young Awards.

“I think most people end up at Stetson because they haven’t put it all together yet,” Gilbert said. “There’s flashes of what they can do. It’s really just working hard, and hoping in the long run, it works out.”

Gilbert made his MLB debut in 2021, and dealt with some struggles. He went 6-5 with a 4.68 ERA in 119 1/3 innings, striking out 128 while walking 28. But he improved as the season progressed, and was a factor in Seattle’s late-season push toward reaching the postseason.

The Mariners fell a little short, but Gilbert gained plenty of confidence, which has carried over into this year.

"This offseason I worked on my off-speed consistency, and throwing them for strikes whenever I want to," Gilbert said. "I feel like I have a better idea of how to use my entire arsenal."

Gilbert needed all his pitches on Sunday, and grinded his way through five innings. He kept Miami without a hit until Jon Berti's two-out single in the fifth inning. Garrett Cooper followed with a single, putting runners on first and second. The inning was prolonged due to an error by first baseman Ty France, who dropped a foul ball. That gave Jorge Soler another shot, but Gilbert struck him out on the next pitch, an 87 mph slider.

In the sixth inning, Gilbert struck out Jesus Sanchez and Avisail Garcia before Anderson crushed his homer to left. That lone run prevented Gilbert from finishing the day with the lowest ERA in the majors.

“I thought Logan really stepped up, probably the last six to eight outings last year,” Servais said. “They were really, really good. He was a big part of the success that we had, driving towards a playoff push. He was a big part of that.

“His secondary pitches have improved so much. You’re seeing the shape of his slider. His changeup is a real weapon now. He’s got an elite fastball, but it’s the quality of his secondary pitches that have really stepped up for him.”

Following Sunday's game, Servais pointed out another factor helping his young pitcher succeed.

"He's a really good competitor," Servais said. "You see it come out later in ball games. It's something we saw last year, and we're seeing it again this year. When he gets into that fifth and sixth innings, he knows he has to bear down and get big outs. He's been able to do it."

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Seattle Mariners ace Logan Gilbert gets win over Miami Marlins