On Saturday, the Seattle Mariners will reveal a list of the 50 greatest players in franchise history. In honor of the organization’s 50 years of existence, the list aims to celebrate the fantastic players who have played in Seattle. At the stadium, the players who on the roster or no longer in the MLB will be honored. That means a player like Luis Castillo probably will not be in attendance given he is now on the Chicago White Sox.
The occasion follows Friday’s Alumni Home Run Derby where Stefan Romero took home the honors of victory. In the final round, he faced Austin Nola. Further, Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame Great Ichiro Suzuki also took part in the festivities, hitting eight home runs himself in the contest.
Although the Seattle Mariners are going through one of the most disappointing seasons on record, hopefully fans can reminisce about the greatest people in franchise history. There are plenty of fantastic players who have played for the Seattle Mariners.
Who Are the 50 Greatest Players in Seattle Mariners Franchise History?
Julio Rodríguez will certainly be included in the list of 50 greatest Mariners in franchise history.
Per Fangraphs wins above replacement, here are the 50 most valuable players in franchise history:
- Ken Griffey Jr.
- Edgar Martinez
- Ichiro Suzuki
- Felix Hernandez
- Randy Johnson
- Alex Rodriguez
- Kyle Seager
- Jamie Moyer
- Mike Moore
- Julio Rodríguez
- Cal Raleigh
- Jay Buhner
- Erik Hanson
- Alvin Davis
- Robinson Cano
- Mark Langston
- Mike Cameron
- Bret Boone
- Freddy Garcia
- J.P. Crawford
- Logan Gilbert
- Jim Beattie
- Adrian Beltre
- Nelson Cruz
- George Kirby
- John Olerud
- Dan Wilson
- James Paxton
- Mike Zunino
- Matt Young
- Franklin Gutierrez
- Floyd Bannister
- Raul Ibanez
- Harold Reynolds
- Phil Bradley
- Hisashi Iwakuma
- Joel Pineiro
- Bill Swift
- Mitch Haniger
- Dave Valle
- Bruce Bochte
- Marco Gonzales
- Luis Castillo
- Ken Phelps
- Bryan Woo
- Julio Cruz
- Leon Roberts
- Randy Winn
- Tino Martinez
- Eugenio Suarez
There are some other names who could be included. One flaw with trying to predict the list this way is that relievers are unlikely to be included.
Who Are Some Other Names Who Could Make the Cut?
Edwin Díaz had one of the greatest single seasons for a reliever ever when he was with the Seattle Mariners.
There are a few names who almost certainly will be in contention to make the list as relievers. Edwin Díaz, now of the Los Angeles Dodgers, had one of the greatest single seasons ever for a closer when he was with the Seattle Mariners. In 2018, he compiled 57 saves across 73.1 innings, totaling in 3.5 fWAR.
Not to mention, current Seattle Mariners closer Andres Muñoz also deserves recognition for the consistency he has displayed out of the bullpen. It seems certain that Munoz will be on the top 50 eventually in terms of wins above replacement soon.
Arthur Rhodes had some fantastic seasons out of the bullpen for Seattle including the magical 2001 season. J.J. Putz possibly could receive some mention for his contributions in the mid 2000s. Shane Rawley was originally a reliever for the Mariners before transitioning to a starter once he left for the New York Yankees. Also, Kazuhiro Sasaki could be worth mentioning despite his short MLB career.
Seattle Mariners to Reveal List of 50 Greatest Players in Franchise History