The Greatest Seattle Mariners of All Time

The Seattle Mariners formed in 1977. The team saw losing records and low attendance for the first several years, but by 1993 new ownership and new manager Lou Piniella signified a change. Thanks to strong players, at long last fans started to see some winning records.

A few of those players were center fielder Ken Griffey, Jr., pitcher Randy Johnson and third baseman Edgar Martinez. Shortstop Alex Rodriguez was drafted the same year.

The year 1995 became the Mariners’ “Refuse to Lose” season when they clinched their first-ever trip to the playoffs. After losing the first two games of the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees, the Mariners won the next two at home. In game 5, the Mariners trailed by one run in the bottom of the 11th inning. Joey Cora was on third and Ken Griffey, Jr. on first. Edgar Martinez strode to the plate for a game-changing hit down the left field line that drove in Cora and had Ken Griffey, Jr. rounding for home and the winning run. It is a play known as “The Double” and is called by some “the moment that saved baseball in Seattle.” Dave Niehaus, the Mariners’ play-by-play announcer, called the play— ending with his signature, “My, oh my!” Many Mariners’ fans remember that moment to this day.

While the Mariners did not make it through their championship run, 1995 has been called “The Magical Season” that led to renewed interest in the team and eventual construction of a baseball-only stadium that prevented the team from being sold and moving to Florida. It was the beginning of a new outlook for the Seattle Mariners. In a few short years, the Mariners traded Ken Griffey, Jr. and Randy Johnson. By 2000, A-Rod was lost to the Texas Rangers, but the Mariners brought in Japanese superstar Ichiro Suzuki.

Since then, the team has seen its ups and downs, but rosters from the crucial years of 1995 to 2000 include the names of Seattle’s greatest players, according to several reports and ranking organizations. Player statistics, playoff appearances and team longevity are factors when calculating the list of all-time greatest players. Honors like inclusion in the Hall of Fame, All-Star status, and being named Most Valuable Player can be part of the consideration. Some include a more elusive calculation: character. Ranker.com creates lists through “the wisdom of the crowd” – otherwise known as the popular vote.

While these reports don’t all agree on the exact line-up—and there are many more great Mariners not on this short list—it is true that the same top names appear over and over. According to a compilation of several reports, the following six players alternately make up the top five greatest players in the history of the Seattle Mariners. (Note – if you don’t see your favorite Seattle Mariner from your personal list of best players, they probably show up on the Top Ten lists.)

Greatest Seattle Mariners of All Time:

Ken Griffey, Jr.; Edgar Martinez; Randy Johnson; Ichiro Suzuki; Alex Rodriguez; Felix Hernandez — with many celebrated names just behind.

Ken Griffey, Jr.as a Seattle Mariner in June 2009 and when he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016