Casey Legumina Bio
Casey Davey Legumina (born June 19, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). A right-handed reliever, he made his MLB debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 2023 and joined Seattle in February 2025. Born and raised in Gilbert, Arizona, he played college baseball at Gonzaga University before being drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 2019.
Early Life and Background
Casey Davey Legumina was born on June 19, 1997, in Gilbert, Arizona, where he still resides. He grew up in a baseball household as the son of Gary Legumina, a former minor league pitcher who played from 1982 to 1986. Casey has credited his father with shaping his approach to pitching and remains close to his family, including three siblings named Hannah, Luke, and Jake.
Legumina attended Basha High School in Gilbert, where he developed into a standout two-way player. As a junior, he set a school record with 72 strikeouts as a pitcher while also hitting .345 and leading the team in on-base plus slugging. His senior season in 2016 was cut short by injury, but he still batted .443 and earned All-District and All-Section first-team honors as a designated hitter. The Toronto Blue Jays selected him in the 25th round of the 2016 MLB draft, but he opted to continue his development in college.
Path to Major League Baseball
Legumina enrolled at Gonzaga University, where he played college baseball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. After a difficult first season in which he posted a 5.46 ERA while splitting time as a reliever and starter, he adjusted his role and became the team’s closer in 2018. That year he set a school record with 12 saves and was named to the All-West Coast Conference first team, drawing advice from former Gonzaga teammate Wyatt Mills. The Cleveland Indians drafted him in the 35th round of the 2018 MLB draft, but he again declined to sign and returned to Gonzaga.
Across his time at Gonzaga, Legumina transitioned back into a starting role and posted a 1.50 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 24 innings during his final season before an arm injury cut his campaign short. He also gained valuable experience in summer leagues, pitching for the Wenatchee AppleSox before college and later starting two games for the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod League, where he allowed only one run in 10 innings. The Minnesota Twins selected him in the eighth round, 239th overall, of the 2019 MLB draft, and he signed for a $250,000 bonus.
Casey Legumina Career
Early Career (2021–2022)
Legumina’s professional start was delayed almost two years after he underwent Tommy John surgery two months after the 2019 draft, and the cancellation of the 2020 minor league season due to the COVID-19 pandemic further postponed his debut. He finally made his professional debut in May 2021 with the Single-A Fort Myers Mighty Mussels and finished the year with the High-A Cedar Rapids Kernels, compiling a 4–2 record and a 3.28 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 49 and one-third innings across 15 games.
In 2022, Legumina began with Cedar Rapids before a quick promotion to the Double-A Wichita Wind Surge, where a July elbow contusion briefly sidelined him. Across 33 games, including 16 starts, he went 2–6 with a 4.80 ERA and recorded 92 strikeouts and three saves in 86 and one-third innings. On November 15, 2022, the Twins added him to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.
Cincinnati Reds (2023–2024)
On November 18, 2022, the Twins traded Legumina to the Cincinnati Reds for Kyle Farmer, and he opened the 2023 season at Triple-A Louisville. After a strong start in which he posted a 1.59 ERA with five strikeouts in five and two-thirds innings, the Reds promoted him on April 15, 2023. He made his MLB debut that day, pitching the final two innings of a 13–0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies, and earned his first MLB win on April 29 with a scoreless eighth inning.
Legumina’s rookie year was interrupted by injuries, including a right ankle contusion in mid-May and right shoulder pain in late June. In 11 appearances with Cincinnati, he recorded an 8.68 ERA and 7 strikeouts across nine and one-third innings as he shuttled between the majors and Triple-A. On January 30, 2025, the Reds designated him for assignment after signing Austin Hays, ending his time in Cincinnati.
Seattle Mariners (2025–Present)
On February 3, 2025, the Seattle Mariners acquired Legumina from the Reds in exchange for cash considerations, and he took the spot of Jhonathan Díaz on Seattle’s 40-man roster. The Mariners optioned him to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers to begin the season before recalling him on April 11. He debuted for Seattle on April 15, exactly two years after his first MLB appearance, providing another chapter in his career as he worked to establish himself in a new bullpen.
Driving Style and Strengths
Legumina relies on a power arm built around an increased fastball velocity that emerged during his final college season at Gonzaga. He has shown the versatility to handle both starting and relief roles, and he credits the advice of his father, Gary, and former Gonzaga teammate Wyatt Mills with shaping his craft as a reliever. His strikeout ability has been a consistent feature throughout his minor league career.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the most meaningful moments of Legumina’s career came on April 15, 2023, when he made his MLB debut with the Reds on Jackie Robinson Day and recorded the final two innings of a 13–0 win over the Phillies. He commemorated the occasion with a tattoo that includes Jackie Robinson’s retired number 42 alongside the smokestacks at Great American Ball Park. He also carries a tattoo of his father’s minor league baseball card, a daily reminder of his family’s baseball roots.
Casey Legumina Career Highlights
Across his professional career, Legumina has compiled a verified body of work in the minor leagues with the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, Cedar Rapids Kernels, Wichita Wind Surge, Louisville Bats, and Tacoma Rainiers. He owns the Gonzaga University single-season record with 12 saves, set in 2018, and was added to a 40-man roster twice before reaching the majors. In the majors, his appearances with the Reds and Mariners have been limited but include his first MLB win in April 2023 and a memorable debut on Jackie Robinson Day.
Minor League Highlights
Legumina’s minor league résumé features a 4–2 record with a 3.28 ERA for Fort Myers and Cedar Rapids in 2021, followed by a 2–6 mark with a 4.80 ERA, 92 strikeouts, and three saves for Cedar Rapids and Wichita in 2022. He has also logged time at Triple-A with Louisville and Tacoma, providing the foundation for each of his major league opportunities.
MLB Debut and Early Major League Highlights
Legumina made his MLB debut on April 15, 2023, against the Philadelphia Phillies, pitched a scoreless eighth inning to earn his first MLB win on April 29, and later joined the Seattle Mariners in 2025. He debuted for the Mariners on April 15, 2025, exactly two years after his first major league appearance.
Casey Legumina Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Legumina comes from a baseball family in Gilbert, Arizona. His father, Gary Legumina, pitched in the minor leagues from 1982 to 1986 and has remained an influential voice in Casey’s career, providing guidance on being a pitcher. Casey also has three siblings, Hannah, Luke, and Jake, and together they are partners in a Gilbert, Arizona restaurant owned by their father.
Personal Life
Legumina grew up rooting for the Arizona Diamondbacks, with Luis Gonzalez and Junior Spivey among his favorite players, and he continues to live in Gilbert, Arizona. He is known for several tattoos, including one of his father’s minor league baseball card and another that honors Jackie Robinson’s retired number 42 alongside the smokestacks at Great American Ball Park, where he made his MLB debut on Jackie Robinson Day in 2023.
2025 Season Performance
Casey Legumina’s 2025 season began with a fresh start after the Seattle Mariners acquired him from the Cincinnati Reds on February 3, 2025. The Mariners optioned him to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers to open the year before recalling him on April 11. He debuted for Seattle on April 15, two years to the day after his first MLB appearance with the Reds, giving him a notable anniversary moment as he worked into the Mariners’ bullpen plans.
Coming off a challenging 2024 campaign with Cincinnati in which he posted an 8.68 ERA across six games, Legumina entered 2025 looking to recapture the form that produced a 1.59 ERA in his early 2023 work at Triple-A Louisville. His fastball velocity had dipped during his limited 2024 big league innings, and Seattle offered a chance to reset with a new organization. With Tacoma providing a runway and Seattle offering major league opportunities, his 2025 outlook centers on consistency, strike throwing, and a return to the velocity that marked his rise through the minors.