Stoudt battling for spot in Mariners' rotation

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Levi Stoudt heard the rumors ahead of last year’s Trade Deadline, his name floating around as a movable piece as the Mariners looked to add. Yet, Stoudt stayed put, perhaps because Seattle valued him too much to part ways.

“I was aware of it, but kind of as soon as I became aware of it, I just distanced myself from it,” Stoudt said. “I just compete and do what I can, so I really don't read too much into it. Like, I know it's a business. I know anything can happen. For me, it's just all about going out and pitching the best I can.”

It’s possible that the right-hander could still be dealt, especially as the Mariners continue to shop for a high-end, established Major League starter ahead of Opening Day, which will almost assuredly require them to do so via trade due to limited free-agent options. Stoudt, Seattle’s No. 8 prospect per MLB Pipeline, might have even increased his value since last summer.

But for now, he’s taking in the opportunity of his first big league Spring Training.

Stoudt threw 55 pitches over 2 1/3 innings in Saturday’s 7-6 Cactus League win over the Dodgers, facing Trea Turner, Cody Bellinger, Chris Taylor and more, all of whom made him labor. It was a test of sorts, especially when L.A.'s elite sluggers were swinging on the first pitch through just about the entire first inning, then again in the third, when Austin Barnes chopped a tough-luck infield single with the bases loaded. A nine-pitch sacrifice fly against Gavin Lux immediately followed and ended Stoudt’s day.

Overall, Stoudt generated consistent swings and misses while feeling strong about the outing.

“It just gives me a lot of trust and confidence in my stuff and allows me to just throw it in the zone, not be too picky,” Stoudt said, “which I think is just what I tried to do today for the most part. I think I did a good job filling up the zone with my stuff. Changeup could’ve been a little bit better, but for the most part, I felt good about it.”

Stoudt goes a bit more under the radar than the headliners in Seattle’s pitching-heavy, No. 2-ranked farm system. Perhaps it’s because he’s quieter or because, at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, he doesn’t tower over his teammates like George Kirby and Logan Gilbert. Regardless, Stoudt is progressing arguably as quick as any arm in the organization and is in the conversation -- at least if Seattle doesn’t add another starter -- for the No. 5 rotation spot for 2022.

“He's got starter stuff,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “It’s a changeup, split, whatever you call it, along with the breaking ball. The fastball is 94-97 [mph]. He looks like a starter to me.”

Yet, Servais wasn’t always so sure, at least based on his first impression of Stoudt during a visit to the Arizona instructional league in the fall of 2020. Stoudt was throwing there to make up for lost time after the cancellation of the Minor League season that year.

“I was only here for like four or five days, I saw him throw one inning one day, and he had really good stuff,” Servais said. “But my first take on it was, ‘Yeah, he's probably an extra bullpen guy.’ I've changed my thinking on that, watching him go about his business and kind of his repertoire of pitches. ...

"He's a really athletic guy. He really repeats his delivery well, and I have him more in the starter bucket now maybe than I did in the past. I'm intrigued. I really am. I think he's come a long way in a short amount of time.”

Stoudt continues to distance himself from the Tommy John surgery that he underwent in 2019, shortly after he was selected by the Mariners in the third round of the 2019 MLB Draft. Last year, he had a 3.31 ERA, 86 strikeouts, 37 walks and a 1.20 WHIP in 81 2/3 innings. He gave up only eight homers to 337 batters faced.

“At this point, it's not even a thought in my head anymore,” Stoudt said of his elbow. “I think I kind of cleared that hurdle a while ago. I never really had any issues coming back from the surgery. So it kind of was smooth sailing. And as soon as I got in the game, I was kind of over it and just back to competing, being a pitcher.”

Stoudt was among the loaded pitching class that graduated to Double-A Arkansas -- with Kirby, Matt Brash and Emerson Hancock -- where he turned his fastball up to 99 mph. Described by one scout as an “incredibly stuffy guy,” Stoudt has a heater that has a ton of ride up in the zone, albeit with marginal movement. His changeup is the pitch that has Mariners scouts most impressed, particularly because of its depth and fade, as well as his ability to land it for strikes. His slider is graded as a plus offering, and he also has a solid curveball.

Stoudt, who arrived in Arizona on Jan. 10, is on track for a workload around 120 innings in 2022 -- possibly more -- which puts him in line to contribute in the Majors, if needed.

“It’s definitely something I'm trying to shoot for,” Stoudt said of a rotation spot. “I feel like this spring, I’ve pitched really well and I'm just looking to continue what I've been doing, and if I win a spot, I win the spot. I definitely think I'm good enough to get the spot. I know we have a lot of talent here. So I'm not expecting anything, but that's definitely something I'm going to try and go for.”