Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson announced on March 19 that Logan Gilbert will be the team’s Opening Day starting pitcher for the second straight season. Gilbert is set to take the mound against the Guardians at T-Mobile Park on March 26.
The decision highlights Gilbert’s role as a key figure in the Mariners’ pitching rotation and his standing within the organization. As one of the longest-tenured players on the team, behind only shortstop J.P. Crawford, Gilbert has become known for his consistency and durability since debuting in May 2021.
“It’s a big deal, a huge honor,” Gilbert said. “Especially when you think about the rotation that we have and the guys here. To be honest, it could have been any of us. I understand that. But for them to pick me, I feel like it’s just a big honor, big opportunity. So you never want to take that for granted.” Last season, Gilbert missed seven weeks due to injury but still managed to make every other start and ranked eighth in innings pitched since his debut.
Wilson said that while Bryan Woo was also considered—having been an All-Star in 2025 and finishing fifth in American League Cy Young Award voting—the club ultimately chose Gilbert due to his track record and leadership qualities. “As we’ve watched all those guys kind of grow up, all of them have taken on different roles,” Wilson said. “And they’ve stayed very true to each other and how they hang with each other and do the things they do together. And, yeah, certainly Logan has continued his maturation process, as they all have.”
Woo will begin this season similarly to last year by pitching later in the rotation to allow more rest early on before moving into a regular schedule by May. Woo set a franchise record with 25 consecutive starts of at least six innings last season and led the team with over 186 innings pitched.
Gilbert is aiming for a fully healthy campaign after recovering from an arm strain last year that limited him to 25 starts but saw him return midseason and contribute during the playoffs. Reflecting on his role as Opening Day starter again, he said: “It’s kind of a leadership position… That’s always been important for me. So I’m just trying to live up to that.”
