Mariners Analysis: Top 5 First Round Picks in M’s History

Baseball has dominated the airwaves is Seattle as of late, but the focus of sports fans in the Emerald City will once again turn to the Seahawks on Thursday night.

The 2016 NFL Draft is set to open at 5 pm PT from Chicago this evening. All the budding superstars will be dressed in their most gaudy threads as they eagerly await the announcement of where they will call home for the foreseeable future. Thankfully, the Mariners are off tonight, so Seattle fans will not have any guilt over ignoring the M’s for a night.

In the spirit of the NFL Draft, we have decided to rank the top 5 first round picks in Mariners’ history. The M’s have done a nice job mining players like Kyle Seager in later rounds, but today will just be discussing first rounders.

Unfortunately, recent drafts have not yielded many returns in the first round. Busts like Jeff Clement, Dustin Ackley and Danny Hultzen come to mind. Mike Zunino has showed flashes of brilliance, but he is currently playing in Tacoma with the Rainiers. The M’s last two first round picks (D.J. Peterson & Alex Jackson) have both struggled to varying degrees over the last two seasons.

Perhaps worst of all is the fact that a number of the names in this list barely spent any time in a Mariners’ uniform, and some never even set foot in the M’s clubhouse. It’s difficult to forgive trading away what turned out to be some of the best players in a generation.

Despite their checkered history, the Mariners actually boast a strong reputation of identifying top tier talent early in the draft. Not many organizations can stake claim to selecting two of the top players in baseball history (Ken Griffey Jr. & Alex Rodriguez).

We will begin by discussing a few players who just missed the top 5.

Next: Honorable Mentions

Honorable Mentions

Matt Thornton – LHP – Rd. 1 Pick 22 in 1998

This 39-year-old southpaw is still pitching in the big leagues, and he is still one of the most dominant relievers in baseball. Thornton only spent two years in Seattle, going 1-6 with a 4.82 ERA across 74 appearances. The Mariners shipped him off to the Chicago White Sox in 2006, and he has posted a 3.11 ERA in the decade since. Thornton represented the Sox at the 2010 All-Star Game, and also holds the American League record for most career holds.

Dave Henderson – CF – Rd. 1 Pick 26 in 1977

Hendu was the Mariners first ever first round selection, and he was one of the more productive players ever drafted by Seattle. The fan favorite spent his first six seasons with the M’s, posting a .257 batting average with 79 home runs and 271 RBI. Henderson was traded to Boston in 1986, and his best years as a pro came with the Oakland A’s in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Dave moved into the broadcast booth after retiring in 1994. He was a gifted broadcaster, and his passing this offseason was upsetting to baseball fans everywhere.

Gil Meche – RHP – Rd. 1 Pick 22 in 1996

Meche reached the big leagues as a 20-year-old in 1999, and proceeded to spend 6 seasons in Seattle. He went 55-44 with a 4.65 ERA across 147 appearances (143 starts) with the Mariners. Meche signed with the Kansas City Royals following the 2006 season. He made his lone All-Star appearance with the Royals in 2007, and retired after the 2010 season.

Jose Cruz – CF – Rd. 1 Pick 3 in 1997

Jose Cruz’s path to Seattle was blocked by some guy named Ken Griffey Jr., and the Mariners shipped him to Toronto midway through his rookie season in 1997. Cruz played just 49 games with the M’s, hitting .268 with 12 home runs and 34 RBI. He hung up his cleats in 2008 after playing 12 years in the big leagues. Cruz was a gifted defender, and he took home the Gold Glove for his work in center field with the San Francisco Giants in 2003.

Ron Villone – LHP – Rd. 1 Pick 14 in 1992

This lefty specialist played for 15 years in the big leagues with 12 different organizations. Much like Cruz, Villone was traded by the Mariners midway through his rookie season in 1995. However, he returned to the M’s in 2004, and played three total seasons in the Emerald City. Villone went 10-11 with a 4.13 ERA across 127 appearances (10 starts) with Seattle. For his career, he went 61-65 with a 4.73 ERA and 8 saves through 717 appearances.

Brandon Morrow – RHP – Rd. 1 Pick 5 in 2006

This hard-throwing right-hander spent his first three seasons with the Mariners, going 8-12 with a 3.96 ERA across 127 appearances (15 starts). Seattle traded Morrow to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2009, and he is now pitching for the San Diego Padres. He is 44-43 with a 4.22 ERA in 9 seasons. Arm talent has never been the issue for Morrow, but staying healthy has been a constant concern for the former Berkeley standout. Morrow is off to a great start in 2016, going 2-0 with a 2.73 ERA through 5 starts with the Padres.

Shawn Estes – LHP – Rd. 1 Pick 11 in 1991

Shawn Estes pitched for 13 years in the big leagues, none of which were with the Mariners. Estes is another example of a quality young player Seattle traded away in the mid-90’s. He rose to fame with the San Francisco Giants, making an All-Star appearance in 1997 after tallying 19 wins. Estes retried in 2008 after winning 101 games and posting a 4.71 ERA in 283 appearances (281 starts).

Taijuan Walker – RHP – Rd. 1 Pick 43 in 2010

‘The Fresh Prince of Seattle’ could earn a spot in the M’s top 5 first round picks in the near future. Taijuan Walker has spent parts of four seasons in Seattle, going 16-11 with a 3.89 ERA across 44 appearances (41 starts). The 23-year-old is off to a blistering start in 2016, posing a 1.44 ERA through his first four stars with a pair of wins. Walker is the most exciting young arm since Felix Hernandez in Seattle, and it will be fun to watch him continue to mature this summer.

Next: Number 5

#4 – Tino Martinez – 1B – Rd. 1 Pick 14 in 1988

Some might argue that Tino Martinez doesn’t deserve a spot on this list, but his contributions in 1995 merit recognition. Also, my mother had a disturbing high-school crush on Tino in the 90’s, and she would be furious if I neglected to give him his due.

Martinez had a spectacular college career at the University of Tampa, and he made his big league debut in 1990 with Seattle. He spent the first six years of his career with the Mariners, hitting .265 with 88 home runs and 312 RBI. His best season with the M’s was 1995, when he slashed .293/.369/.551 with 31 homers and 111 RBI. He was one of the key cogs in the Mariners’ attack, and was a big reason why they made their improbable run to the postseason.

Tino was traded to the New York Yankees prior to the 1996 season, and he flourished in the Bronx. Martinez hit .276 with 192 home runs and 739 RBI whilst wearing pinstripes. He went to two All-Star Games, and won four World Series rings. His best season came in 1997 when he finished second in AL MVP voting after hitting .296 with 44 long balls and 141 RBI.

The slugging first baseman played 16 seasons in the big leagues, and exited with 339 career home runs. Martinez was fun to watch, as he played the game with passion and charisma.

Next: Number 3

#3 – Jason Varitek – C – Rd. 1 Pick 14 in 1994

Unfortunately for M’s fans, arguably the best catcher in a generation never played one inning for the Seattle Mariners. Jason Varitek was one of top prospects in baseball in 1997, but his path to the big leagues was blocked (and rightfully so) by Dan Wilson. Seattle opted to package Varitek with Derek Lowe and trade them to the Boston Red Sox for Heath Slocumb. This trade serves as yet another reason for M’s fans to weep into their pillows every night.

Varitek spent 15 seasons in Bean-town, slashing .256/.341/.435 with 193 home runs and 757 RBI. He was elected to the All-Star Game three times, and is still lovingly referred to as “the captain” by Red Sox nation. Varitek led the Sox to two World Series titles, and played a key role in them breaking the ‘Curse of the Bambino’ in 2004.

The Georgia Tech alum’s best years were between 2003 and 2005, when he hit .283 with 65 home runs and 228 RBI. Varitek was a gifted defender, and he took home a Gold Glove award following the ’05 season. The Mariners interviewed him for their managerial vacancy this past offseason before settling on Scott Servais, and it’s likely Varitek will be a skipper before long.

Dan Wilson is one of my favorite players of all-time, and I think Seattle made the right decision in who to keep and who to trade. However, it would’ve been nice to see the Mariners get more in return for such a productive player.

Next: Number 2

#2 – Alex Rodriguez – SS – Rd. 1 Pick 1 in 1993

Say what you will about Alex Rodriguez, but his stats do not lie. There is no debate that he is the second best player ever drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the first round. A-Rod is the only player ever picked by the Mariners to eclipse the 3,000 hit mark.

A-Rod played parts of seven seasons with the Mariners, hitting .309 with 189 home runs, 595 RBI and 133 stolen bases. He broke in as an 18-year-old in 1995, and in 1997 he won the batting title after hitting .358 with 36 home runs and 123 RBI. Rodriguez became a member of the 40/40 club in 1998, and hit 42 homers in just 129 games in 1999. He represented the M’s at four All-Star Games.

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The Mariners made arguably the biggest blunder in club history when they allowed Rodriguez to leave via free agency as a 24-year-old after the 2000 season. He signed the first mega-deal in sports history with the Texas Rangers before being traded to the New York Yankees in 2004. And he went on to become a national symbol of everything that’s wrong with baseball.

The Miami, Fl native has hit .296 with 690 home runs, 2062 RBI and 328 stolen bases across 22 big leagues seasons. Rodriguez has made 14 All-Star appearances, won 10 Silver Slugger awards, two Gold Gloves at shortstop, and three American League MVP awards.

Had it not been for A-Rod’s drug use and general ‘douchey-ness’, he could have been the most beloved player in baseball history. There has never been a player who excels in more aspects of the game than Alex Rodriguez. For quite a long time, Rodriguez was the best offensive player in the game and he was one of the most gifted defenders at a premium position. However, he has proven throughout his career that the only person who can get Alex out is himself.

A-Rod’s resume demands love and respect from fellow players and fans, but the malignant superstar has embarrassed himself and the sport with his actions. It’s fair to assume his legacy will be closer to that of Barry Bonds than Derek Jeter. The saddest part is that Rodriguez didn’t need the drugs to be great, he already was.

Next: Number 1

#1 – Ken Griffey Jr. – CF – Rd. 1 Pick 1 in 1987

Ken Griffey Jr. was an easy pick for the greatest first round selection in M’s history. However, it’s interesting to note that George Argyros (the Mariners owner at the time), had reservations about drafting Griffey in 1987. ‘The Kid’ was not a great student at Archbishop Moeller High in Cincinnati, and some questioned his maturity. However, raw talent won out and the Mariners landed the greatest player in franchise history.

Griffey was Mariners’ baseball for over a decade. He made his debut as a 19-year-old in 1989, and was considered by many to be the most electrifying player in the sport by the early 90’s. Griffey spent 13 seasons in the Emerald City, slashing .292/.374/.553 with 417 home runs, 1216 RBI and 167 stolen bases.

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Junior’s best season as a pro came in 1997. He clubbed 56 home runs while posting a .304 batting average and driving in 147 runs. Griffey was awarded with the American League MVP trophy for his efforts in ’97. He was also scored the most important run in M’s history against the Yankees during the 1995 ALDS.

The Mariners were forced to sever their relationship with Griffey after he demanded a trade following the 1999 season. He spent the next 9 seasons playing for his hometown Reds, but was never quite the same player. He made a brief pitstop with the White Sox in 2008 before signing on to play the final year and a half of his illustrious career with the Mariners. That signing is just about the only thing M’s fans should thank Jack Zduriencik for.

All told, Ken Griffey Jr. was elected to 13 All-Star Games, won 10 Gold Gloves in center field, took home 7 Silver Sluggers and was the AL MVP once in 22 years. He posted a career batting average of .284 while slugging 630 home runs and driving in 1836 runs.

Loved equally for his silky, smooth swing and his goofy grin, Junior is still the most popular figure in Seattle sports history. Seahawks be damned, no one can touch ‘The Kid’. It will assuredly be an emotional day when Griffey enters the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown this July, and it will be even more emotional during Griffey weekend at Safeco Field in August.

Had it not been for a string of injuries during his time with the Reds, Ken Griffey Jr. would have been crowned the best player to ever play the game. As it stands, he will have to settle for being one of the most beloved players in baseball history.

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Junior made baseball fun to watch, and he will always be the Mariners best first round pick.