The Seattle Mariners’ starting rotation has, for several years now, been one of the deepest in baseball. In a ballpark that suppresses offense, the Mariners front office has made a point of building one of the most talented pitching staffs in the league. If they stay healthy in 2026, the floor for this group is very high. Even if the offense regresses, they should be in pole position for back-to-back AL West titles. However, nothing is guaranteed over a full season. This article will look at one key stat for each starter that, if achieved, would signal a successful campaign and position the Mariners for a deep run in October.<\/p>\n
Given the nod on Opening Day<\/a> for both Seattle and Logan Gilbert<\/a>, this was an indicator that the Mariners could pursue a big extension in 2026. This is a massive year, and following a down 2025 season, he must prove he deserves a $200 million-plus contract. Gilbert will always possess some of the best swing and miss stuff in the league. Even in a sub-par year, he still put up elite strikeout %, whiff %, and walk %. His splitter is one of the best individual pitches in the league, with a xAVG of .099 and a whiff rate of above 50%.<\/p>\n However, where he struggled was that he had no pitch to put the ball in play; his pitch count would balloon in the early innings, hitters would foul off or leave pitches out of the zone, and he would often be at 40-50 pitches after a couple of innings. Even with the injury, his 131 innings across 25 starts averaged 5 1\/3 innings per start. Even with the elite stuff that Gilbert possesses, this is below the standard expected of an ace. In contrast, in 2024, he went 208 innings pitched in 33 games, averaging 6 1\/3 innings. Similarly, in 2023, he pitched 190 innings in 32 games, averaging six innings per game. This is what Gilbert must return to. He has reintroduced his cutter<\/a>, which was used heavily after he faced a similar problem of a ballooned early pitch count on Opening Day of 2026.<\/p>\n But if Gilbert can hit 200 innings pitched in 2026, that is the sign he has maintained his swing and miss profile while also being able to go six or seven innings into games regularly, justifying the huge contract his talent deserves.<\/p>\n Coming off a season in which Bryan Woo<\/a> finished fifth in Cy Young Voting in the American League. He was by far the Mariners’ best pitcher in 2025 and has built a real foundation to become one of the best pitchers in the AL. Building on his fastball variations, his four-seamer had a run value of +21. Combined with his two-seamer, he threw fastballs nearly 75% of the time.<\/p>\n Woo built his profile on efficiency, quick outs, and consistency. Working at least six innings in 25 consecutive starts, he proved how powerful his arsenal was. Following this breakout season, the expectation is to be in the conversation for the AL Cy Young Award come the end of the season. Despite his success, there is room for improvement, and he will need to tighten up some areas to compete with the likes of Tarik Skubal<\/a> and Garrett Crochet<\/a>.<\/p>\n Is Bryan Woo a top 10 SP in MLB?\ud83d\udc40\ud83e\udd14pic.twitter.com\/USsDLC2eub<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Big League Digest (@BigLeagueDigest) March 24, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nBryan Woo – Barrel%<\/h2>\n
Season Target: 7%<\/h3>\n
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