Mariners’ Logan Gilbert named to 2024 All Star Game
It’s the first career selection for Gilbert, who joins fellow Stetson alums Jacob deGrom and Corey Kluber as All-Stars
While the 2024 Mariners won’t be earning any accolades for their offense, their pitching has kept the team afloat, although it’s been a struggle at times as the offense gives them very little to work with, magnifying any small mistake made by the starting pitcher. No starter has consistently given his team a fighting chance more than Logan Gilbert, who for his efforts carries a 5-5 record despite posting a career-low ERA. Gilbert has been rewarded, however, with his first-ever selection to the All-Star Game.
Gilbert has been rock-steady since joining Seattle’s rotation in 2021. He’s struck out around a quarter of batters faced every year while trimming his walk rate, and he’s continually innovated and improved upon his arsenal, pushing himself to get even better. In 2024, however, Gilbert has taken things to another level; his 14 quality starts are tied for second-most in MLB, just behind the Royals’ Seth Lugo, and he boasts the second-best WHIP (.092) in the big leagues. Look at any pitching leaderboard, and there’s a good chance Gilbert is near the top—including for innings pitched. Gilbert has been a workhorse for this rotation, saving an injury-thinned bullpen this year, but he’s been a dependable starter dating back to his college days. Aaron Goldsmith might like to tease Gilbert on-air about his “bag of tricks” that he totes with him to the field each day, but Gilbert is fiercely in-tune with his body and conditioning; those tools are representative of his work ethic and dedication that help him take the mound so frequently and go so deep into games. Finally, Gilbert’s years of hard work and consistency finds a reward on one of baseball’s biggest stages.
“It’s just a dream come true,” said Gilbert. “It’s something I always dreamt of as a kid. And I was really hoping it would happen eventually, and I felt like I had a decent chance this year. So I’m just really excited.”
With the selection, Gilbert joins fellow Stetson alums Corey Kluber and Jacob deGrom as All-Star pitchers; rare air for the 27-year-old Gilbert. “To be mentioned with those guys, it’s pretty special. They’re two of the best to ever do it, so it’s pretty cool. They’ve set the ceiling so high, I’m happy to just kind of barely walk in their footsteps and be included with them. It’s really special.”
Gilbert, a student of the game, is most excited to get to pick the brains of pitchers he admires in-person. “That’s kind of just how I work,” he said. “It’s really fun for me, almost as a fan of the game, just to be around guys like that, that have so much to offer. So I’m going to try to just enjoy it, learn as much as I can and take it all in.”
As for actually pitching in the All-Star Game, Gilbert isn’t sure if he’ll be able to or not. He’s lined up to pitch the last game before the break, so he’s not sure if he’ll get the green light to throw or not. But he absolutely wants to, and it would be such a shame if no Mariners appeared in the All-Star Game; others might be named as replacements, but currently Gilbert is the only Mariner selected. “I don’t care. I’ll throw either way,” said Gilbert. “I’ll tell him I’m fresh regardless.”