SEATTLE -- Logan Evans told himself upon being selected by the Mariners in the 12th round of the 2023 MLB Draft that he wouldn¡¯t visit T-Mobile Park until he reached The Show.
That objective took discipline, but it finally came to fruition on Saturday, when the promising right-hander arrived in Seattle after receiving word from the baseball operations staff that he¡¯d be called up from Triple-A Tacoma and make his MLB debut in Sunday¡¯s matinee against the Marlins.
He¡¯s essentially taking over the rotation spot held by Logan Gilbert, who was placed on the 15-day injured list on Saturday with a right elbow flexor strain, classified as Grade 1.
¡°Getting out here to see the field for the first time was just breathtaking,¡± Evans said. ¡°I've played it in [the video game MLB] The Show. I've watched all the games for sure, but it's a lot bigger and much nicer than I anticipated.¡±
Evans is the Mariners¡¯ No. 10 prospect by MLB Pipeline and one of the headlining arms among their next wave of talent.
He¡¯s also been among their fastest risers, especially given that he was a Day 3 pick, signed for only a $100,000 bonus, toyed with a transition to the bullpen last year with the possibility of impacting the big league roster in a potential playoff push then settled back into a productive role at Tacoma, where he began this season following a promotion from Double-A Arkansas.
¡°He understands what the art of pitching is all about,¡± Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. ¡°And he's got a lot of weapons in which to do that with, and along with the philosophy that we have here.¡±
In five starts with the Rainiers, Evans went 1-1 with a 3.81 ERA, but the more encouraging numbers were a 21.1% strikeout rate, a 3.7% walk rate, a 59% ground-ball rate and zero homers allowed among 109 batters faced over 25 2/3 innings.
That represented an improvement from Spring Training, when he surrendered 11 earned runs over eight innings (12.38 ERA) across four Cactus League outings. But his biggest growth came from that mid-summer move to the bullpen last year, when he had a 6.10 ERA in 10 outings.
¡°It was my first real bump in the road in pro ball, but I loved it,¡± Evans said. ¡°I learned a lot about myself. I learned that my thing is, I use the kitchen sink and I rely on my routine. That kind of threw me off a little in the bullpen, but it was cool. I got to learn from that and understand and now get to use that moving forward.¡±
Evans figures to get a legitimate opportunity, given that the Mariners are now down two All-Star starters between Gilbert and George Kirby.
Gilbert, especially, has taken Evans under his wing -- the two were seen hugging in the home clubhouse on Saturday. It was only four years ago that Gilbert was in Evans¡¯ shoes, a homegrown product who thrived by embracing the Mariners¡¯ core pitching philosophies.
¡°I don't want to ever pile on too much when there's a lot on your debut and that kind of stuff,¡± Gilbert said. ¡°But I want to be able to help him -- help any of the younger guys -- like with questions they have, especially him going through it, and just like not treating it too different. His slider is so good. His stuff is so good.¡±
Evans, meanwhile, described himself as a ¡°thrower¡± when he was first drafted but is now much more of a ¡°pitcher.¡± They both call each other ¡°Big Logan,¡± as Gilbert stands 6-foot-6 and Evans is 6-foot-4.
¡°I didn't have any plan of attack,¡± Evans said. ¡°Now it's buying into the scouting report I have on each individual hitter I face, throwing those first-pitch strikes and winning the 1-1 counts that we talk about. And then, like, when I get in those advantage counts, making my pitch and knowing what those hitters struggle with.¡±
By inserting Evans into the rotation now rather than for Gilbert¡¯s next scheduled turn, the Mariners will be able to also bake in Monday¡¯s off-day for extra rest with their other starters -- Bryce Miller being the soonest, as he was initially slated for Sunday and expressed ¡°soreness¡± earlier this month.
The Mariners have also been diligent about Bryan Woo -- their best starter so far in this young season -- operating on a six-day routine as much as possible.