Seattle Mariners Top Ten Starting Pitchers in Franchise History
In this article we will take a look at the top ten starting pitchers in Mariners history.
Let’s look back and take note of the rich history this team has provided us. Hopefully you’ll pick up a gem or two that you didn’t already know about this team. The Mariners franchise has only been around since 1977. It would probably be a better list if it included only the top six or seven starting pitchers due to the brief history of the the Seattle Mariners.
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- Ranking the Best Designated Hitters in Seattle Mariners History
- Ranking the Best Right Fielders in Seattle Mariners History
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- Ranking the Best Left Fielders in Seattle Mariners History
- Ranking the Best Shortstops in Seattle Mariners History
Each pitcher had to have pitched at least 500 innings for the Mariners to make the cut. That eliminates short stints with the Mariners like that of Cliff Lee, who is clearly a great pitcher, but was only with the Mariners for half a season. This list isn’t designed to tell us which pitchers have had the best MLB careers or the best single starts for the franchise. It’s really about which pitchers put together the best body of work or careers for the Seattle Mariners.
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Keep in mind that this list is subjective. Many things went into putting this list together. Some of the key components that went into this list is team ranking in key traditional statistics as well as pitchers WAR. These were used to measure production, longevity, and total contribution to the franchise. There may be pitchers who didn’t make the list that should be included on this list. If you feel that someone was snubbed or that the order that these are in is incorrect, please let us know in the comments.
Next: First One-Hitter for the Mariners
10. Jim Beattie
Jim Beattie came to the Mariners in 1980 with a bit of a pedigree. As a rookie he helped the New York Yankees win the World Series in 1978 by winning game one of the ALCS against the Kansas City Royals and pitched a complete game win in game five of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. After the 1979 season, Jim Beattie, Rick Anderson, Juan Beníquez and Jerry Narron were traded to the Seattle Mariners for Ruppert Jones and Jim Lewis.
The 6-foot-5 right hander did not have the best career with the Seattle Mariners. Although he spent some time in the bullpen and down in Triple-A, he made the list for several reasons. He had his moments and he was a workhorse for seven years. He won 43 games and lost 75.
The South Portland, Maine product pitched 944.2 innings for the Mariners and over that span he earned a 4.14 ERA and a 1.413 WHIP. He had 30 complete games including six shutouts which rank 4th and 6th respectively with the Mariners all-time. He ranks 5th all-time for the Mariners in FIP at 3.81. Beattie also ranks 8th all-time in pitchers WAR with 14.3 for the Seattle Mariners.
Jim Beattie pitched the first Seattle Mariners one-hitter on September 23, 1983. Other than U.L. Washington’s single in the third, Beattie was perfect. That’s how close he came to pitching the first perfect game in Mariners history. Instead he gets the honor of the first one-hitter.
On July 25th 1984 he was pitching a scoreless game against the Angels through nine innings. He went back out in the 10th inning and after two outs gave up the game winning single. He smashed a water cooler and wouldn’t talk to reporters after the game. His career began to take a nose dive after that incident.
Next: First Overall Pick
9. Mike Moore
Mike Moore was the first overall pick in the first round of the 1981 Draft for the Seattle Mariners. No, not the film producer. Mike Moore out of Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 6-foot-4, right handed hurler had lofty expectations laid on him early on. His best year for the Mariners was in 1985, when he won 17 and lost 10 games with a 3.46 ERA and 1.215 WHIP.
He made his debut for the Mariners on April 11, 1982. He would pitch seven years for the Mariners totalling 1457 innings. He won 66 games and lost 98 from 1982 to 1988. During his Mariners career he achieved a 4.38 ERA and a 1.395 WHIP with a 1.75 strikeout to walk ratio. He pitched 56 complete games for the Mariners including 9 shutouts. He earned an 18 in pitchers WAR for the Mariners.
His career rankings all-time for the Mariners in several categories are notable. In pitchers WAR he ranks sixth all-time. He also ranks first in complete games and is tied for third in shutouts. He ranks fifth in total strikeouts and fourth in total innings pitched for the Mariners. He is fourth in games started and sixth in total wins.
“The big Oklahoman” as Dave Niehaus would call him, pitched a long seven years for the Mariners. However it wasn’t until he played his eighth year for the Oakland Athletics that he had his best year in the Majors. He would go on to make the All-Star team and pitch in the 1989 World Series. You might remember this World Series as the earthquake series. The earthquake that hit the bay area just before game three. Due to the earthquake there was a ten day delay between game two and game three. That meant that Mike Moore was able to pitch in game two and game four, winning both games, as the Athletics swept their across the bay rival the San Francisco Giants.
Next: Seattle Native
8. Floyd Bannister
Floyd Bannister came out of Arizona State University via Kennedy High School in Burien, Washington, which is just south of Seattle. The home town kid was a first overall draft pick of the Houston Astros in 1976. After pitching just seven games in the minors the lefty was rushed to the big leagues to start the season with the Astros in 1977. But after two bad seasons he was traded to the Seattle Mariners. He spent four years with the Mariners before becoming a free agent and had a 15 year Major League career.
Flo’B pitched 768.1 innings for the Seattle Mariners in four seasons easily qualifying for this list. From 1979 to 1982 he won 40 games and lost 50 as a starter. If you’ve followed this team for any amount of time during this period, you know that wins and losses isn’t a good way to judge a pitcher’s contribution. During his tenure with the Mariners he achieved a 3.75 ERA and a 1.286 WHIP with a 2.26 strikeout to walk ratio. That is, he allowed 250 walks and had 564 strikeouts in his Mariners career. His FIP was 3.94. He also recorded 24 complete games and had seven shutouts.
In pitchers WAR the 6-foot-1 190 pound hurler ranked 10th all-time for his career in Seattle with 13.4. His ERA is sixth all-time for the Mariners. He is seventh all-time in complete games for the Mariners and fifth in shutouts. He comes in at 8th in both WHIP and strikeout to walk ratio.
During his last year with the Mariners he was an All-Star and finished the season with the most strikeouts in the American League with 209. Flo’B didn’t make this list because he is a home town kid. His four years of quality pitching landed him as number eight on the Seattle Mariners top ten pitchers of all-time.
Next: Hail to the Chief
7. Freddy Garcia
Freddy Garcia was signed by the Houston Astros as an amateur free agent. He was acquired by Seattle in a trade that no Mariners fan liked. The Randy Johnson trade to the Houston Astros. But the Chief would go on to be a solid pitcher for the Seattle Mariners from 1999 to 2004.
The 6-foot-4 Venezuelan hurler won 76 games and lost 50 for the Mariners in five and a half seasons for a .603 winning percentage. The right hander pitched 1096.1 innings during his Mariners career. He had a 3.89 ERA and 1.299 WHIP with a 2.11 strikeout to walk ratio over that span. His best season for the Mariners was in 2001 when he won 18 games and lost six with four complete games and three shutouts. The Chief achieved an 18.8 in pitcher WAR.
Freddy Garcia’s career with the Mariners was a good one. His pitcher WAR ranks fifth all-time with the club. He is fourth all-time in wins for the Mariners. He is seventh in ERA, and ninth in WHIP and strikeout to walk ratio. He is sixth in both strikeouts and total innings pitched.
The Chief placed second in Rookie of the Year voting in 1999. He made two All-Star games with the Mariners in 2001 and 2002. He also pitched on the last two post season teams that the Mariners had in 2000 and 2001. Like Mike Moore, he went on to win a World Series with the next team he went to. He pitched and earned the win in game four of the 2005 World Series after pitching seven scoreless innings.
Aside from his pitching, the Chief made another indirect yet royal contribution to the Mariners. One of the reasons the King, Felix Hernandez, chose the Mariners is because his idol, fellow Venezuelan pitcher Freddy Garcia, was with the Mariners at the time.
Next: Most Devastating Curve
6. Erik Hanson
Erik Hanson was drafted in the second round of the 1986 draft by the Seattle Mariners. He is easily one of the most underrated pitchers in Mariners history. The 6-foot-6 righty is remembered for having one of the most devastating curveballs in Mariners history.
Erik compiled 56 wins and 54 losses in 6 years and 967.1 innings with the Mariners. He had a 3.69 ERA and a 1.276 WHIP with a 2.60 strikeout to walk ratio. He achieved a 16.9 pitchers WAR and 3.25 FIP during his Mariners career. He pitched 21 complete games and 3 shutouts.
Erik Hanson’s 1990 season for the Mariners was one of the best seasons he ever had in the Majors. He had 18 wins and 9 losses. He earned a 3.24 ERA and a 1.157 WHIP with a 3.10 strikeout to walk ratio including a 2.74 FIP. He had an amazing season, yet he was not on the All-Star team and did not receive any votes for Cy Young. He did, however, become the opening day starter in 1991 for the Mariners.
Erik Hanson’s Mariners all-time rankings might surprise you. Here’s where he begins to show his true colors. He ranks seventh in pitchers WAR and strikeouts, fourth in ERA, and sixth in WHIP while being eighth in total innings pitched and 10th in games started. He also ranks third in strikeout to walk ratio and second in FIP all-time for the Mariners.
Erik went on to pitch for three other Major League teams in 11 different seasons in the MLB. After he retired he turned to golfing for recreation like most former players. But, he’s taken it a step further. He hopes to play in the PGA someday. For now, he’s winning golf tournaments as an amateur.
Next: First True Mariners Ace
5. Mark Langston
Mark Langston was the first true ace for the Seattle Mariners. Every time the 6-foot-2 lefty pitched, the Mariners were supposed to win. That’s what it felt like when he pitched. Known for his strikeouts and excellent pickoff move, Mark was a solid ace for the Mariners. Langston was a second round draft pick of the Seattle Mariners in the 1981 draft and the 35th overall pick. This is especially interesting because he was the third pick for the Mariners and had a better career for the Mariners than the first pick in the same draft, Mike Moore.
The San Jose State product made his debut on April 7, 1984 for the Mariners. He went on to win 17 games and lose 10 in his rookie season. He finished the year with an American League leading 204 strikeouts. Good enough to finish second in American League Rookie of the Year vote to Alvin Davis, his fellow Mariners rookie first baseman. He did however earn the Sporting News Rookie Pitcher of the Year Award for the American League.
In five and a half seasons with the Mariners, Mark Langston won 74 games and lost 67. He earned a 4.01 ERA with a 1.372 WHIP and a 1.87 strikeout to walk ratio. He also had a 3.93 FIP. He had an astonishing 1078 strikeouts. He pitched 41 complete games and had nine shutouts. He also earned a 19.4 in pitchers WAR.
He was truly one of the Mariner greats. He ranks fourth in pitchers WAR and strikeouts all-time. He also is fifth in total wins. He is third in complete games and shutouts. He is also ninth in ERA. It’s also notable that he owns the all-time record on the Mariners for the most innings pitched in a single season with 272 innings pitched in 1987. He also owns the longest scoreless streak record all-time for the Mariners with 34 consecutive scoreless innings pitched from September 14-29, 1988.
In 1989 Mark Langston’s career with the Mariners came to an abrupt end in a heart wrenching trade that sent him to the Montreal Expos for Brian Holman, Gene Harris, and a tall gangly wild lefty that would end up being one of the best pitchers in Mariners history and eventually a hall of famer, Randy Johnson. The trade occurred as the team couldn’t come to a deal and they were going to most likely lose him to free agency.
In 1995, Mark Langston, then with the Angels, faced Randy Johnson in a one game playoff American League West Pennant. Who can forget the Luis Sojo bases clearing bouncer down the first base line off of Mark Langston that propelled the Mariners to the playoffs and towards the memorable double from Edgar Martinez that saved the Mariners and baseball in Seattle.
One of the things that Mark Langston is known for is his pickoff move to first base. Although he only had 19 pickoffs with the Mariners, when he retired from baseball after 16 seasons, Langston had 91 career pickoffs which was first all-time in MLB. He is currently fourth all-time.
Next: The Next One Will Surprise You
4. Hisashi Iwakuma
Wait a minute this can’t be right can it? Number four all-time over all those other pitchers who have pitched so much more? But he’s a current pitcher for the Mariners? Yes, Hisashi Iwakuma has quietly been great and if you haven’t noticed, start taking notice. If you don’t believe it now, you will when you finish reading this slide.
In Iwakuma’s four seasons with the Seattle Mariners he has won 47 games and lost 25. During that tenure he earned a 3.17 ERA with a 1.082 WHIP and a whopping 4.34 strikeout to walk ratio. He also had a 3.62 FIP. He’s tallied 551 strikeouts while only walking 127. He pitched the fifth no-hitter in Mariners history in 2015. He has already earned a 13.9 in pitchers WAR.
In just a couple of years Hisashi has made several Mariners top ten all-time lists. Keep in mind that the requirement is at least 500 innings pitched. Hisashi qualifies with 653.2 innings pitched. He’s already tenth in total wins for this team and ninth in pitchers WAR for the Mariners. He ranks first in WHIP, second in ERA, and first in strikeout to walk ratio. Did I mention these are rankings all-time versus every pitcher who has pitched for this team? That’s a pretty good contribution so far. He ranks second in win-loss percentage with .653. He ranks second in the lowest amount of hits (7.986) given up per nine innings pitched and first in lowest amount of walks (1.749) per nine innings all-time. He also ranks fourth in FIP.
If you didn’t notice how great Iwakuma has been for this team, you should now. It may have been difficult to notice because you have Felix Hernandez also on your pitching staff. But compared to all the pitchers the Mariners have had, he’s doing incredibly well. If he is able to stay healthy he can quickly climb on this list. He has put together a phenomenal Major League career so far.
Next: The Savvy Veteran
3. Jamie Moyer
Our third ranked pitcher of all-time for the Seattle Mariners is none other than the recently inducted Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame pitcher Jamie Moyer. Jamie was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1984 and would play for eight Major League teams in a big league career that spanned 25 years. Jamie spent 11 Hall of Fame worthy years with the Mariners.
At six feet tall and 170 pounds, Jamie Moyer wasn’t the most feared pitcher. His velocity was less than average for most of his career. He relied mostly on his control and mixing his pitches. Jamie gave up a lot of home runs over his career, but he was a savvy pitcher.
Jamie Moyer was a Mariners pitcher from 1996 to 2006. He won 145 games and lost 87. During that tenure he earned a 3.97 ERA with a 1.254 WHIP and a 2.36 strikeout to walk ratio. He also had a 4.38 FIP. He’s tallied 1239 strikeouts while only walking 524 in 2093 innings pitched. He earned a 34.6 in pitchers WAR. He pitched 20 complete games and 6 shutouts for the Mariners.
As you may imagine his career stats with the Mariners rank him pretty high on some all-time categories. Until just recently Jamie Moyer was first in starts, innings pitched, and wins. He currently ranks first in wins while being second in innings pitched and games started. He’s third in pitchers WAR and strikeouts. He’s fourth in win-loss percentage and WHIP. He’s fifth in strikeout to walk ratio and eighth in ERA. He’s sixth in shutouts and tenth in complete games. Jamie has also won more games in a single season than any other Mariners pitcher in history with 21. He achieved that in 2003 with a 21-7 record and an All-Star appearance as well.
The craziest fact is that Moyer pitched in Seattle from the age of 33 to 43. He had that much success at such an advanced age. Moyer didn’t stop there. He went on to win a World Series two years later at the age of 45 with the Phillies. He pitched until he was 49 years old. He then spent some time as a color commentator on Phillies broadcasts but decided to quit to spend more time with his kids.
One of the biggest contributions that Jamie Moyer, along with his wife Karen, has made is The Moyer Foundation. It’s a charity for children that has raised over $20 million since it’s inception in 2000.
Next: The Big Unit
2. Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson needs no introduction. He is a legend in Seattle and in MLB. He has been inducted into the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame and to Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame. Randy Johnson came to the Seattle Mariners from the Montreal Expos in a trade with Gene Harris and Brian Holman for Mark Langston. Johnson was among the most feared pitchers in baseball because of his dominant pitching arsenal (fastball, slider), his intimidating height and wild mullet hairstyle and mustache, and his angry scowling demeanor on the mound. He was traded because he was too wild and not consistent. It really wasn’t until he talked to Nolan Ryan in 1992 that he was able to make some adjustments that would help him.
The Big Unit pitched for the Mariners for ten years compiling 130 wins and 74 losses in 1838.1 innings. He also had a 3.42 ERA and 3.34 FIP. He achieved a 1.250 WHIP with a 2.45 strikeout to walk ratio striking out 2162 batters and walking 884. He had 51 complete games, 19 shutouts and 2 saves. He earned 39.3 in pitchers WAR in that decade for the Mariners.
The Big Unit has the most strikeouts and shutouts in Mariners history. He ranks second in complete games and pitchers WAR. He ranks third all-time in wins, win-loss percentage, FIP, WHIP, and ERA. He’s fourth in strikeout to walk ratio. He holds the Mariners records for most strikeouts in a game with 19 and he did it twice, most strikeouts in a year with 308, most consecutive wins at 16, and highest single season winning percentage of .900 in 1995. He was a 5 time All-Star with the Mariners. He had the first no-hitter in Mariners history on June 2, 1990. In 1995 he won the American League Cy Young award.
Unfortunately his time in Seattle would come to an abrupt end. The Big Unit was traded to the Houston Astros for Minor Leaguers, Freddy Garcia, Carlos Guillen, and John Halama on July 31, 1998. He would go on to help the Astros make the playoffs and become a free agent after the season. His career spanned a total of 22 years and 7 teams. He would win a World Series and earn World Series MVP with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001. He won four more CY Young awards and pitched a perfect game in 2004. Since retiring from baseball he has pursued a career in photography. In January of 2015 he became an assistant to the General Manager in Arizona.
Next: The King
1. Felix Hernandez
Felix Hernandez is without a doubt the best pitcher in the history of the Seattle Mariners. King Felix edged Randy Johnson for the top spot. Felix was signed as a free agent by the Seattle Mariners in 2002. The Mariners should send Freddy Garcia a thank you card. As stated previously, one the reasons Felix picked Seattle was because his idol, fellow Venezuelan pitcher Freddy García, was pitching for the team at the time. He made his Major League debut on August 4, 2005, at the age of 19. He has spent his entire 11 year Major League career with the Seattle Mariners.
In 11 years, King Felix has earned 143 wins and 101 losses for a .586 win-loss percentage. He has pitched 2262.1 innings. He’s had 25 complete games and 11 shutouts. He has a career 3.11 ERA and 3.20 FIP. He also has a WHIP of 1.171 and and strikeout to walk ratio of 3.40. He’s had 2142 strikeouts and 630 walks. He has earned a 49.8 pitchers WAR. He pitched the Mariners first perfect game on August 15, 2012. He’s earned 6 All-Star selections. He won the American League Cy Young award in 2010 and received votes in 5 other seasons.
King Felix ranks first all-time in innings pitched, games started, pitchers WAR, FIP and ERA for the Mariners. He’s second in wins, WHIP, strikeout to walk ratio, shutouts, and strikeouts. He’s sixth in complete games and win-loss percentage. The latter would be much higher all-time if he had some run support. He holds the Mariners team record for the lowest ERA by a starter in a season with 2.27 in 2010.
Felix Hernandez recently signed a ten year contract with the Mariners that will keep him in Seattle through 2019. The Mariners marketing team has created a King’s Court on days that he pitches where fans wear yellow t-shirts and hold up “K” cards. This promotion has grown over the years to several sections. This promotion marks the first time there has been a stadium promotion around a specific player. The body of work, what he means to the team and the city, and the fact that he has decided to stay with Seattle until the end of his career seals the deal. Not to mention he leads in most of the categories already.
Even though Felix Hernandez is currently in the midst of his career with the Mariners, he is the best starting pitcher in the history of the Seattle Mariners. He is clearly headed towards enshrinement in the Hall of Fame. Mariners fans have a front seat.
A few other pitchers deserve honorable mention. Instead of mentioning them, we’d like to hear your thoughts in the comments.