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The Drought, Part II: The 10 Most Underrated Mariners Since 2001 – First Five

By Ty Gonzalez

SEATTLE - MARCH 31: Fans walk up to the stadium before the Seattle Mariners game against the Texas Rangers on March 31, 2008 at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE - MARCH 31: Fans walk up to the stadium before the Seattle Mariners game against the Texas Rangers on March 31, 2008 at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /
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#9: 1B Russell Branyan

CHICAGO – APRIL 29: Russell Branyan #30 of the Seattle Mariners bats against the Chicago White Sox during the game on April 29, 2009 at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO – APRIL 29: Russell Branyan #30 of the Seattle Mariners bats against the Chicago White Sox during the game on April 29, 2009 at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Finally! A player came to us and actually got better! Who knew that was possible?

Russell Branyan is just a Mariner to some and a Mariner legend to others. When he signed with the Mariners in 2008, most fans didn’t even know who he was. He was a role player in Milwaukee with some pop and good on-base skills.

No one expected that Branyan would be one of the best power hitting first basemen in the league in 2009. But that’s exactly what happened, as Branyan dropped 31 bombs with a 126 wRC+. What makes that more impressive is that he never played in September that season, going on the disabled list with a herniated disk.

Due to the injury, the Mariners were uncomfortable with committing to him long-term. Branyan wound up going to the Indians in free agency, only to be traded back to Seattle in June of 2010.

Branyan would only slash .215/.319/.483 in his return to the M’s, but he still managed a 121 wRC+ along with 15 homers. But that would be it for Branyan’s time in Seattle and his career only further declined.

Branyan may have been the best 1B/DH type the Mariners had in Jack Zduriencik’s regime. That’s saying quite a bit, considering how obsessed Zduriencik was with that kind of player.

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