Mariners’ Logan Evans Showcases Electric Arsenal In Spring Camp

Before the Mariners drafted him in the 12th round out of Pittsburgh last summer, Evans sat 92 mph.

He now throws in the upper 90s and touches 99, while sporting a six-pitch pitch. He added a sweeper last summer that has approximately 20 inches of horizontal break.

“The stuff is kind of out of this world,” Mariners pitching coordinator Matt Pierpont said.

Evans had an underwhelming college career, posting a 6.78 ERA in 138 innings over four seasons at Penn State and Pittsburgh.

But the Mariners saw plenty of untapped potential in his 6-foot-4 frame, athleticism, control and spin rates.

“We knew that there were some small things we could tweak that could have some pretty big rewards,” Pierpont said.

After drafting him, the Mariners gave Evans a clear plan that centered on throwing harder, attacking the heart of the plate and improving the shapes of his offspeed pitches.

“Logan is a self-proclaimed baseball nerd,” Pierpont said. “He loves to learn and he asks a lot of really good questions. So he took to it right away and just started crushing it.”

Evans’ velocity uptick began during his pro debut last summer. He posted a 0.60 ERA in 15 innings between the Arizona Complex League and Low-A Modesto, with 15 strikeouts and just two walks.

Evans continued to add velocity during the offseason and was among the hardest throwers at the organization’s annual pitching camp in January.

“The breaking pitches maintained their big, elite shapes, but he was throwing them harder,” Pierpont said. “So everything kind of ticked up, but the shapes didn’t regress. If anything, they got a little bit better. And he pretty much just took off from there. 

“It’s extremely rewarding to be able to sit there and watch him progress into the pitcher that he is right now,” Pierpont added. “I’m super excited for him.”

MARINADE 

— After a standout full-season debut last year, Mariners top prospect and 2022 first-round pick Cole Young continued to draw rave reviews this spring during his first major league camp. The 20-year-old shortstop hit .333 with two home runs in 24 Cactus League at-bats.

“He’s just fundamentally very sound,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “Love his swing. He’s got a lot of adjustability to his swing and what he does. And I think eventually he’s gonna grow into more power as well.”

— Some other position-player prospects who had strong showings in Cactus League play were 24-year-old middle infielder Ryan Bliss, 21-year-old outfielder Jonatan Clase and 23-year-old first baseman Tyler Locklear.

Bliss hit .333 in 36 at-bats and flashed his power-speed combo with a 106 mph home run and five stolen bases. Clase hit .321 in 28 at-bats and stole three bases. Locklear hit .320 with one homer in 25 at-bats.

— Lefthander Reid VanScoter pitched six scoreless innings across three Cactus League appearances, while totaling 11 strikeouts and no walks. The 25-year-old is coming off a strong pro debut last year at High-A Everett, where he posted a 3.27 ERA with 157 strikeouts and 35 walks in 143.1 innings.