MLB Draft: Top 5 First Round Draft Picks in Seattle Mariners History

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#3

Tino Martinez

This one won’t hurt so badly. Tino Martinez may have played on four teams during his 16 year career, but it all started with the Seattle Mariners. We actually have great things to remember and call our own, regarding Tino.

The Seattle Mariners drafted Martinez number 14 overall in the 1988 amateur draft. The Mariners got to reap the rewards of grooming Martinez in there farm system when he broke into the ball club in 1990.

Martinez played six years with the Seattle Mariners. It started off and on in the beginning with playing part time at first base until he was given the starting role in 1992. One of the main reason Mariners fans hold Tino so close to their hearts, is due to his breakout season during the most memorable year in Mariners’ history. The famous 1995.

Martinez was a huge fan favorite during the 1995 season. He finished the year with a .293 BA, mashed 31 home runs, and drove in 111 RBI. Apparently the Mariners didn’t think those numbers were impressive enough, as they traded Martinez and two other players to the New York Yankees for Sterling Hitchcock and Russ Davis in 1996.

Martinez ended up finishing his career a two time All-Star, and a four time World Series Champ. He even won both the Silver Slugger Award and Homerun Derby in 1997.

He finished with a career .271 BA, 339 home runs, and 1,271 RBI. Mariners’ fans can at least say they experienced six years of watching Tino grow into a solid power hitter. If only the Mariners would have kept him a little longer.