This story was excerpted from Daniel Kramer’s Mariners Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
PEORIA, Ariz. -- Talk about a wholesome offseason.
Love was in the air for virtually the entire Mariners starting pitching staff, as babies and engagements were blooming at a group-wide rate and in such a short span.
Six starters in the organization -- currently in the big league rotation or who could be at some point in 2026 -- popped the question or welcomed the birth of a child over the winter. And for an already tight-knit group, these shared experiences have led to even more bonding at Spring Training.
Kade Anderson: Engaged to Baleigh
Anderson has crammed an era’s worth of life milestones over the past nine months, from winning the College World Series at LSU in June, being selected by Seattle with the No. 3 overall pick in the MLB Draft in July -- and getting engaged to his high-school sweetheart in December.
What’s maybe most impressive is how committed they are to each other -- at just 21 years old. At an age where most are still exploring identities, relationships and life goals, that’s not the case with Anderson.
There’s a confidence that’s shined in his mound presence in his first big league camp, but the self-clarity clearly translates off the field too.
Luis Castillo: Birth of third child, Brianelly
“La Piedra” was a late arrival to Spring Training by a few days last month, but for the happiest of reasons, as he and his wife, Elanyi, welcomed baby Brianelly, their third daughter.
Castillo’s even-keeled personality on the mound, and the ability to never get too high or low, has translated masterfully to being a girl dad -- the essence of which boils down to presence, respect, support and role modeling, all while allowing the youngsters to be their authentic selves.
As the eldest and most experienced among Seattle’s rotation, Castillo’s best attributes have been consistency and reliability. For all the highs and lows of the six-month schedule, he averaged 32 starts and 185 innings over each of his three full seasons with the Mariners.
Basically, he posts every time out -- at the ballpark and at home with his three girls.
Logan Gilbert: Birth of first child, Henry
Homegrown players are naturally easier for fans to latch onto because of the connection fostered from Draft day, through the Minors, to the big leagues, and in Gilbert's case, becoming one of the sport’s premier starting pitchers. For all these reasons, he’s embodied the natural progression of adulthood as much as any player for this era of the organization.
Which makes his foray into fatherhood another benchmark underscoring how much he’s grown up before our eyes over these past five years.
Gilbert is already seeing a correlation between being a first-time dad and its impact on his competitive outlook -- specifically, like countless ballplayers have expressed, being able to flush bad days more quickly.
Baby Henry and Gilbert’s wife, Aviles, are in Arizona for the duration of camp, and some of the most wholesome moments down here have featured the towering ace doting over the newborn around the bullpen mounds with his teammates.
Emerson Hancock: Birth of first child, Myles
Hancock and his wife, Haylie, are really timing up their calendars well with the baseball schedule -- getting engaged in the 2022-23 offseason, married in the ‘23-24 offseason and becoming first-time parents in the ‘25-26 offseason.
Natives of South Georgia -- Emerson from Cairo and Haylie from Bainbridge -- and who still make their permanent home there, the birth of baby Myles was especially meaningful for their families, as all but Hancock’s father became first-time grandparents.
George Kirby: Engaged, to Cameron
Kirby is smiling much more this spring, perhaps most of all for being in the best mental space of his young career. And an instrumental figure in guiding him through baseball’s challenges is his longtime girlfriend, Cameron. The two met as student-athletes at Elon University, with George obviously playing baseball and Cameron playing lacrosse, and they’ve been together for almost a decade.
For all the stressors that can arise on the mound, Kirby maintained 80-grade composure during the leadup to the proposal in Half Moon Bay, Calif., where a bartender nearly spoiled the surprise. Shortly before Kirby got on one knee overlooking the Pacific, the server was effusive in his congratulations to Kirby. But to Kirby’s initial confusion, it was for a solid season while pitching in some of Seattle’s most consequential playoff games.
Cameron apparently didn’t think much of the exchange -- so crises averted, indeed.
Bryce Miller: Engaged, to Olivia
Miller was among the few to make the long drive to Arizona this spring, covering over 1,000 miles and nearly 15 hours of car time from Southeast Texas. And he made a detour at Big Bend National Park near the Mexico border for a scenic visit -- and to pop the question.
Miller met Olivia, who went to a neighboring high school in their hometown of New Braunfels, on New Years Eve in 2023, and they are already underway wedding planning for this upcoming offseason. He also wants to squeeze in a bachelor party, with a duck hunting trip being a leading agenda item.