Subscribe
Follow Us
The Seattle Mariners haven't had a great deal of postseason success of late, having made the playoffs once in the last 22 years. But the team is in a good spot with its starting rotation anchored by Logan Gilbert. Now, Gilbert's hard work for the Mariners has earned the young pitcher his first MLB All-Star nod.
After announcing the 2024 All-Star game starters on July 3, MLB revealed the starting pitchers that were selected on Sunday. Of the eight starters all but two will be making their All-Star game debuts on July 16 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
And one of those first-time All-Stars had a unique and memorable way of sharing the big news with his biggest supporters, his mom and dad. Logan Gilbert was selected as the Mariners' lone representative for the Midsummer Classic. After learning he made the All-Star team from Mariners' manager Scott Servais, Gilbert called home.
“Just calling, seeing what you guys are doing next week…” @logangilbert22 telling his parents he’s an All-Star is the best thing you’ll see all day 💙 pic.twitter.com/PDY1mIaiOS
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) July 8, 2024
Starting a seemingly normal conversation with his mom, Gilbert casually asks what his parents are doing next week before inviting them to watch him in the All-Star game. Following some excited screaming and tears of joy, his mom says, “I promise you, we’ll be there.”
Gilbert had just found out about his selection during a team meeting and admits to his incredibly proud parents, “I couldn’t wait to tell you guys. Out of everybody you’ve been there so long, [you’ve] helped me get here.”
The wholesome moment should warm all but the most cynical and jaded of hearts. And those folks should try to stop themselves from thinking about how the interaction happened to be recorded with multiple cameras and then used as a marketing tool. Just try to enjoy life a little bit! Geez.
Anyway, regardless of how warm the video made your heart there’s no denying that Gilbert has been hot, putting together a career year for the first-place Mariners. The former first-round pick, taken 14th overall by Seattle in 2018, is now in his fourth season with the team. In 18 appearances so far the 27-year-old righty has 14 quality starts – tied for the second most in all of baseball.
Gilbert has been a very reliable starter, posting 117.2 innings for the Mariners, the third most in the majors. His WHIP of 0.918 is also the third best in MLB. Gilbert is producing career-best efforts with a 2.91 ERA (seventh best in the American League) and a .199 batting average against (sixth best in baseball). He’s also put up an excellent ERA+ of 129.
Logan Gilbert makes a memorable All-Star announcement
Through 92 games for the Mariners this season, Gilbert has accumulated 2.7 WAR. He’s just 0.5 off of his career best WAR of 3.2, which he reached after tossing 185.2 innings in 2022. Meaning he has a very realistic chance of topping that total this year, along with many of his other career-best numbers.
The Mariners are clinging to a two-game lead in the AL West. Just weeks ago Seattle was dominating the division with a double digit lead over the Houston Astros. However, the Mariners have lost 12 of their last 17 games, getting ice-cold at the worst time possible as the Astros have rebounded from a slow start. Houston has won 13 of their last 17 games, a stretch that includes a seven-game winning streak. The red-hot Astros have closed the gap and are threatening to overtake the Mariners in the second half.
With their current 49-43 record, Seattle would be tied with the Kansas City Royals at a game and a half out of the Wild Card race. The AL East and Central are far stronger divisions than the West, so if the Mariners can’t win the division, they could be on the outside looking in when the playoffs start.
Of course, Seattle’s issues this season haven’t been due to the team’s starting pitching. The Mariners’ rotation, featuring Gilbert, George Kirby and Luis Castillo, has been excellent. A stagnant offense that ranks near the bottom in just about every category has taken a toll on the team.
Regardless, Seattle can count on Gilbert to anchor the rotation as he’s been about as dependable as any starter this year. And the cost-conscious Mariners should be able to rely on the big right-hander for years to come. Gilbert is making $4.05 million this season and is under club control until 2028. Maybe we’ll get a couple more heart-warming All-Star moments from the pitcher before then.
