Top prospects Jarred Kelenic, Logan Gilbert offer glimpses of future in Mariners debuts
The roars from the crowd at T-Mobile Park were noticeably louder when the starting lineup was announced.
Particularly when the first and last Mariners players were introduced over the loudspeaker.
When the announcer called out Jarred Kelenic’s name — batting in the leadoff spot and starting in left field — the cheers amplified.
Moments later, when starting pitcher Logan Gilbert was announced, the crowd crescendoed again.
“I took a second in the bullpen to look up and try to take it in, because this only happens one time, making a debut out there, and it was a nice reception,” Gilbert said. “It made me feel good having that kind of support from the home fans.”
The arrivals of both Kelenic and Gilbert — both top prospects in the Mariners’ system, and both former first-round picks by the Mets and Mariners back in 2018 — have long been anticipated.
Thursday night, fans finally got a chance to see these two pivotal pieces of the club’s future play in Seattle, and debut on the same night.
Even in what turned out to be a 4-2 loss for the Mariners, each milestone moment — from Gilbert’s first pitch, to his five strikeouts, to each of the four times Kelenic stepped into the batter’s box — was met with a resounding chorus.
“We are as excited about this duo of players and their arrival as we’ve been for anything else that’s happened here at least in the six years that I’ve been here,” general manager Jerry Dipoto said earlier in the day after the Mariners officially called up both players from Triple-A Tacoma.
“It’s an exciting time to dream about what the Mariners can be.”
The arrivals of Kelenic and Gilbert represent another step forward in the club’s ambitious rebuild, now in its third season, during which the Mariners continue to bring of waves of young and talented prospects with the hope to return to the postseason consistently in the coming years.
Gold Glove shortstop J.P. Crawford arrived early in the 2019 season, with center fielder Kyle Lewis, the reigning American League Rookie of the Year, and starting pitchers Justus Sheffield and Justin Dunn debuting that September. Gold Glove first baseman Evan White debuted in 2020 and outfielder Taylor Trammell this spring.
Catcher Cal Raleigh, who opened with Tacoma, is expected to reach Seattle sometime this season. Outfielder Julio Rodriguez, another top prospect, along with two first-round picks in pitchers George Kirby and Emerson Hancock, have impressed early with High-A Everett and could arrive in the next wave, whenever that may begin.
There are countless more up-and-comers to name in what is now one of the most plentiful farm systems in baseball.
But, perhaps no player debuts have generated as much excitement as the two who arrived in Seattle for this seven-game homestand.
Kelenic, who was part of the blockbuster deal that sent Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz to the Mets in 2018, is considered the top prospect in the Mariners’ system, and No. 4 prospect in all of baseball by MLB Pipeline.
Gilbert is the club’s No. 4 prospect, No. 28 prospect in all of baseball, and seventh-ranked right-handed pitcher.
Both played their first full professional season with Seattle’s organization in 2019, each beginning the season with Low-A West, then jumping to High-A Modesto and finally to Double-A Arkansas, where they wrapped up the season.
Kelenic hit .291/.364/.540 between the three stops that season with 31 doubles, five triples, 23 home runs and 20 stolen bases.
Gilbert finished with a 10-5 record and 2.13 ERA across 26 starts, and struck out 165 batters while walking 33 in 135 innings.
Had the COVID-19 pandemic not wiped out the 2020 minor league schedule, both players likely would have reached the majors at some point during the season.
They both played in intrasquad games at T-Mobile Park last summer, but were then sent to the club’s alternate site in Tacoma to continue their development and play opposite each other in intrasquad games.
That the two debuted together Thursday night, after spending much of the past two seasons in the same clubhouse, seemed fitting.
“I think one thing that’s reassuring to me is that not only is it my major league debut, but it’s also Logan Gilbert’s,” Kelenic said pregame Thursday. “To be able to start this journey in the big leagues with someone that you started the journey with in the minor leagues makes this transition a little bit easier.
“I was just talking with him in the clubhouse, and as excited as I am to get going with my major league career, I’m just as excited for him to start his major league career, because that guy has worked extremely hard, and he deserves to be here, and I know all the fans are going to see that tonight.”
Kelenic said not only being a locker neighbor of Gilbert’s at Cheney Stadium, but having the chance to face him often, helped both continue to progress.
“We would be going at it every fifth day, or whenever he threw, and we could talk about each and every at-bat, whether he beat me or I beat him,” Kelenic said. “It’s pretty unique to have that when you can sit down and talk to basically your opponent, even though he is my teammate, and kind of just talk through the minds of a pitcher, he can talk through the minds of a hitter, and Logan’s a very smart person that knows the game, so when I could pick his brain, it only helped me.”
Both opened this season with the Rainiers, and both needed less than a week to display their readiness to join the big league club.
Kelenic started in the outfield and hit in the leadoff spot in each of the six games of Tacoma’s opening homestand, and finished 10-for-27 with six runs scored, a double, two home runs — both in his Triple-A debut — five RBI, two walks, five strikeouts and two stolen bases. He tallied multiple hits in four games.
Gilbert made one start against El Paso last Friday, working efficiently through the lineup twice in his scheduled five innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out five.
By Thursday night, both Kelenic and Gilbert were in big league uniforms and on the field in Seattle.
“It’s been kind of crazy and hectic,” Gilbert said. “Obviously so many emotions going on. Just to be able to make my debut — a lifelong dream coming true, being out there, having my family out there. … It was really special.”
Kelenic shared the same sentiment, recalling the moment he was told he would be packing his bags and heading to Seattle.
“It was a dream come true,” he said. “I’ve worked my tail off each and every day to get to this point, and to be able to get that phone call that I’m coming to the big leagues, and share that with my family is truly a phone call I’ll never forget. It’s exciting, and I’m looking forward to contributing as best I can.”
Kelenic appeared at the plate four times in his debut, and has yet to collect his first hit, but manager Scott Servais saw the young outfielder’s at-bats progress as the night went on.
“He’s going to be fine,” Servais said. “You can just see the wheels turning throughout the game. Talking to his teammates and learning as he’s locked in on the pitcher and what the other team is doing against him. No concerns there. Just keep giving him at-bats, keep running him out there and watch him grow up.”
Gilbert worked quickly through his first inning on eight pitches, but Cleveland scored a pair of runs in the second on a Franmil Reyes solo home run and RBI single by Jake Bauers. Gibert was tagged with two more runs in the third on a two-run homer by Jose Ramirez.
He completed four innings allowing the four runs on five hits, but also struck out five, including collecting his first career strikeout of Cesar Hernandez to open the third. Gilbert threw 71 pitches.
“I thought Logan was about as calm as you can be,” Servais said. “Focused. Very comfortable out there. Certainly he will learn a lot here his first few times out. … He can certainly build off of that one and I look forward to seeing him progress here as we move through the season.”
“I definitely feel like I belong here and my stuff plays up here,” Gilbert said. “I get a little better idea for the picture of facing big league hitters, strengths, weaknesses and just trusting my stuff and knowing that filling up the zone and getting ahead is what I need to do, and once I do that expand and make my best pitches all the time.”
With their debuts behind them, and several months of the season ahead, both Kelenic and Gilbert expect to be key factors for the Mariners.
“Both Logan and I are here to win games,” Kelenic said. “And however we can do that, we’re going to do it. … I know that we are going to give the city of Seattle and all the fans here 110% effort every single night.”
This story was originally published May 13, 2021 at 11:03 PM with the headline "Top prospects Jarred Kelenic, Logan Gilbert offer glimpses of future in Mariners debuts."
