Seattle Mariners: A History Of 3, 30+ Home Run Hitters

Kyle Seager’s thirtieth home run this year was the crushing blow in the Mariners12-4 win. It wasn’t the type of home run that made fans drop their jaws. In fact, the home run was not only Seager’s fourth shortest home run this year, it was his tenth shortest of his career. But, it was one of his most important ones. It put he and his teammates in rare Mariners company.

The high-flying three-run shot by Seager in the eighth landed a few rows into the right-field stands. He extended the Mariners lead to eight runs, but also joined the thirty home run club for the first time in his career. There hasn’t been a better year for him to reach that benchmark.

As the Mariners aggressively vie for the final Wild Card spot, they have needed everyone to step up all season long. Seager has done that, setting career-highs in several categories including RBI, home runs and batting average.

The thirtieth home run is extra special because Seager, Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz now have at least thirty home runs. That’s three teammates with at least thirty home runs, impressive. This has only been achieved three times in Mariners history. The last, was in 1997.

Here’s a look back at how some of the greatest Mariners hitters set the standard for this incredible achievement

1996- Buhner, The Kid and A-Rod

It was twenty years ago that these legendary Mariners teamed up to smash the ball. Of course, it was hardly surprising, as we watched each of them amaze every night.

A-Rod, was playing in his first full season. But, Ken Griffey Jr. and Jay Buhner had already established themselves as reliable power-hitters. Yet, despite his lack of experience, the expectations were high for A-rod.

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He would hit twenty-nine home runs by mid-August. On August 20th, A-Rod took Baltimore Orioles pitcher, Scott Erickson yard. Later in the game he would hit one more for a multi-homer game. And, even though this was a great accomplishment, he was the third teammate to reach the mark that year.

About a month before A-Rod reached thirty, Buhner had reached the plateau. Following a blazing first half where he hit twenty-three homers, he kept on hitting them through July.

In his first at-bat on July 31st he blasted number twenty-nine. His very next time at the plate, he crushed the ball to deep left field for his thirtieth. So, he too would have a multi-homer game when reaching thirty.

As a side note, Griffey Jr. would have a multi-homer game that day as well, but he had already passed thirty home runs.

Yes, it is no shock that Griffey Jr. was the first to reach the thirty mark in 96′, although he and Buhner had the same amount of home runs before the All-Star break.

In the second inning on July 27th, Griffey Jr. would complete back-to-back homers with A-Rod. The Kid’s was a little more special though because it would be his thirtieth of the year (A-Rod’s twenty-second). Griffey would also be the first of the three thirty-home run Mariners who would have two home runs the day they hit or passed thirty.

Despite their combined one hundred and twenty-nine home runs, the Mariners would miss out on a Wild Card spot by 2.5 games.

1997- Buhner, Griffey Jr. and Sorrento

Buhner and Griffey Jr. were at it again the very next year. This time, instead of A-Rod, they had new company, Paul Sorrento.

The Kid was in much more of a hurry to reach thirty home runs this year. He took his thirtieth out of the park two days before the All-Star break.

It was an off day for the future Hall of Famer. He was 0-2 going into the fifth frame, then he changed the direction of the game. He hit a two-run blast that put the Mariners up 3-1. Unfortunately they would go on to lose the affair 5-4 on a walk-off single.

It would take almost two months later for Buhner to reach number thirty. In 97′ he was three weeks behind his 96′ pace, but he still reached the mark.

It was an American League battle against the White Sox, and Buhner’s homer would help the Mariners win it. Already up 3-1, Buhner stepped into the batters box and annihilated the ball to left-field. That insurance run would help the Mariners that day, as they game finished 5-3.

In 1997 Buhner would finish with forty home runs. It was the last time he would ever pass the thirty mark, as his career was winding down.

With two weeks left in the season the Mariners were still waiting for the third, thirty homer  player. The journeymen, Paul Sorrento would be the man to come through.

In his only thirty-plus home run season, Sorrento saved his best power year for his third team in eight years. He had always hit an average amount of home runs (usually around twenty) but never got higher.

It must have been the training with some of the best power-hitters in the game over in Seattle that pushed him past the average. On September 18th, Sorrento would be called on in the eighth to pinch hit. He would battle his way to a full count, and on the next pitch, he smashed the ball to deep right.

It was a much more dramatic way to be the third, thirty home run Mariner then 96′, but he did it. In part because of Sorrento’s breakout year, the Mariners would win the AL West, only to lose in the AL Divisional Series in four games.

Next: Mariners: What We Learned

This year the Mariners had to wait until the last week to get three players past thirty home runs, but it was worth it. As of today, the Mariners sit 1.5 games back of the Wild Card. That’s the closest they’ve been to a playoff spot in a long time. A lot of that has to do because of the next generation of three, thirty home run hitters.