Top Seattle Mariners Pitching Prospect Logan Evans Discusses Routine Change
The Seattle Mariners are likely to see some benefits of their highly-regarded minor league system in 2025. The organization finished 2024 with eight prospects ranked in Baseball America's top 100 list and five ranked in MLB Pipeline's.
Middle infielder Cole Young could possibly factor into Seattle's plans at second base depending on his performance in Spring Training.
The Mariners' top pitching prospect, Logan Evans, is also expected to get his first major league look at some point in 2025.
Evans was ranked as the No. 8 overall prospect in the organization's system according to a recent ranking from Baseball America.
Evans spent all of 2024 with Seattle's Double-A affiliate, the Arkansas Travelers, and made 32 appearances (22 starts). He posted an ERA of 3.20 with 98 strikeouts in 107 innings pitched while allowing an opponent batting average of .217.
Evans got lengthy looks as both a starter and reliever while in Arkansas. And he discussed the lessons he learned from taking on various roles in a recent appearance on the Couch GM podcast:
"It was good. It was a lot of variability. I loved it. I think it threw me off of what I knew in pro ball, which I think I needed. Because at that time, not to say I was big-headed, but I was kind of like 'Oh, this is easy.' If I just go out and execute my plan, great results are going to happen. I found that in Modesto and then I came up to Arkansas and found the same results. And then I went to the bullpen, still had that confidence I had. I don't really know if I really had a routine. That's the biggest change. As a starter, you know exactly how your week is going to go and you have it planned out. As a bullpen guy, I could do only so much because I don't know when I'm pitching. So there is a big change. But I just felt like, once you got in there, and got into the flow of everything, it was still the same game. ... And then, yeah, just ran into a few of the bumpy outings. I think there were two in there, maybe three. But it was good for me to have a punch in the face, really, and things not work out exactly how they're transcripted for me."
Logan Evans (@loganevans10_) on why some adversity in his move to the bullpen was needed to take the next step in his career. #mariners #tridentsup #seattle pic.twitter.com/O2RrhMGWwZ
— The Couch GM (@The_Couch_GM) December 18, 2024
Evans finished out 2023 with the organization's Low-A affiliate, the Modesto Nuts. He helped lead the team to a California League championship just several months after he was drafted in the 12th round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Pittsburgh. He capped 2024 off by leading the Travelers to a Texas League championship.
Logan Evans was throwing GAS tonight ⛽️
— Arkansas Travelers (@ARTravs) September 26, 2024
6.0 IP | 5 H | 1 R | 9 K pic.twitter.com/1Ef52fZj8k
Evans has exceeded expectations most had for him as a 12th-round draft pick. That's led him to be highly-regarded by the Mariners, and will likely lead to him contributing on the major league level sooner rather than later.
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