If you just looked at fWAR and rWAR, you’d think that Logan Gilbert didn’t improve from 2022 to 2023. Not that he needed to since it’s not as if three-WAR starting pitchers grow on trees: Gilbert’s one of just 12 players to have done it by both fWAR and rWAR in each of the last two seasons. (Burnes, Castillo, Gallen, Gausman, Gilbert, Kelly, Snell, Strider, Valdez, Verlander, Webb, and Wheeler.)
But contrary to those stats, what I saw in Logan Gilbert’s 2023 was a massive step forward, which is why he’s my pick for the 2024 American League Cy Young Award.