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The list of best outfielders in Seattle Mariner history includes more players that accumulated less than 5.0 bWAR as it does players above 15.0. In other words, mediocrity reigns supreme.
In looking at the upper echelon, we’re left to wonder why the Mariners were so against re-signing some of the best outfielders they’ve ever had. In the middle part of the list, we lament the fact that the late ‘70s and early ‘80s had so little talent surrounding some pretty solid players. The bottom part of the list is hilarious, because we realize that one above average season can make you one of the best outfielders in the entire history of an MLB franchise.
As always, because I’m a generous lover, I’ve got some hints. There’s a utility player on here who I was surprised to learn played over 50 percent of his games in the outfield. There’s a guy who was traded for Jamie Moyer. There’s a guy with the unfortunate distinction of making the final out in a World Series, as well as a guy who won the World Series for a different American League team shortly before joining Seattle. There’s also a dude who was on Seinfeld.
In honor of the top dog on the list, here are the 24 best outfielders in Mariner history. To qualify, all you had to do was play at least half of your total games as an outfielder. The first names underneath the cutoff, aka the 25th, 26th, 27th, and 28th best Mariner outfielders ever: Kyle Lewis, Guillermo Heredia, Carlos López, and Casper Wells.