Logan Gilbert recognised by his peers as finalist for MLBPA award

Seattle Mariners pitching ace Logan Gilbert has been deservedly named as one of three finalists for the MLBPA AL Outstanding Pitcher Award.

Logan Gilbert is coming off a season which saw him arguably establish himself as the rotation’s best pitcher, which is saying something giving the quality of the Seattle Mariners’ starters. Now, he’s also being recognised by his peers around the league.

On Monday, the MLBPA announced the finalists for the 2024 Players Choice Awards, which included Gilbert. He was named as one of three finalists for the American League Outstanding Pitcher Award, along with Detroit Tigers starter Tarik Skubal and Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase.

Skubal will likely be favourite to win the award, but this doesn’t mean Gilbert has no chance. His body of work in 2024 is something to be proud of, worthy of taking him seriously as a candidate for the 2024 MLBPA AL pitcher award.

Logan Gilbert one of the very best in 2024

Gilbert’s 2024 campaign saw him lead all qualifying Major League pitchers with a career-low 0.887 WHIP. His season was also one of durability and toughness, as he led all pitchers with 208.2 combined innings, as well as tying for the Major League lead with 33 starts.

The 27-year-old’s stat line was littered in general with a whole host of single-season career bests, including a 3.23 ERA, a 3.27 FIP and 220 strikeouts. As a result, it was no surprise when he was named to the AL All-Star Game roster for the first time in his Major League career.

As you’d expect, Gilbert was absolutely delighted to be selected for the All-Star Game. Speaking to the media at the time about the honor, he said:

“It’s just a dream come true. It’s something I’ve always dreamt of as a kid. I was really hoping it would happen eventually and felt like I had a decent chance this year, so I’m just really excited.”

All of this success will undoubtedly help Gilbert’s case, when it comes to his second year of arbitration eligibility. He earned $4.05 million this year and, as per MLB Trade Rumors, is projected to receive a significant increase to around $8.1 million for the 2025 season.

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History of success for the Mariners

The MLBPA Players Choice Awards have been taking place since they were established back in 1992, with the winners being voted for by the players themselves. The other awards include Outstanding Player, Outstanding Rookie and Comeback Player in each league, and an overall Player of the Year and Man of the Year.

For the Mariners specifically, they haven’t done too badly over the years, with winners including Ichiro Suzuki in 2001 and Kyle Lewis in 2020 as AL Outstanding Rookie of the Year. They also had three consecutive years between 1996-98, with Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr. and then Rodriguez again winning AL Outstanding Player of the Year, joined by Ichiro in 2004.

Chris Young was named AL Comeback Player of the Year in 2014, while Randy Johnson and Felix Hernandez won AL Outstanding Pitcher of the Year in 1995 and 2014 respectively. Whether Gilbert can join Johnson and Hernandez on a such an exclusive list remains to be seen, but he is well-deserving of being in contention.

What impressed you most about Logan Gilbert’s play this year? And looking ahead, do you expect him to have a similar level of success next season, or possibly be even better? Let us know in the comments section below.