Primarily a Sunday starter at the University of Pittsburgh, Evans decided to forego one more college season after the Mariners made him their 12th-round pick in 2023 and signed him for $100,000. He didn’t have much contact with Seattle leading up to the Draft other than filling out a questionnaire, but he stood out for his athleticism and strike-throwing ability.
Evans’ mainstream numbers were underwhelming, with a 5.88 ERA as a junior and 7.43 ERA as a sophomore. But as the Mariners have uncovered with much of their pitching pipeline, some of the underlying stuff stood out, particularly with elite extension that he leverages from his 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame. Primarily a two-seam guy, Evans sits in the 93-94 mph range with his fastball. He pairs it with a slider that can consistently miss bats -- particularly against lefties -- and a cutter that’s been a weapon to righties.
Thanks to his propelled development, at age 22 -- Evans started his college career at Penn State during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and transferred to Pitt in 2022 -- the Mariners were comfortable sending him to Single-A Modesto ahead of their playoff run. And in just a few short months since the Draft, Evans’ name surfaced in trade discussions during the Mariners’ busy offseason.
