The Top 5 Seattle Mariners of the 2018 Season… So Far

The Mariners have had quite the rollercoaster of a season. Every player has endured the ups and downs concurrently with the results of the team as a whole. These are the players who either didn’t fall victim to the lows for too long, or  maintained a level of success throughout the good, the bad, and the ugly.

There is roughly a month remaining in the 2018 season and the Mariners are on the outside looking in to the playoff picture. However, the team’s recent stumbles should not overshadow the successes of quite a few Mariners this season.

With their playoff hopes hanging by a dwindling thread, let’s take a step away from the negative and focus on the positive. I would like to acknowledge those that have filled this season with excitement, hope, and overall joy.

These Mariners not only showcase their brilliance on the field, but off it with the way they’ve transformed this team into a family.

Without further ado, let’s get on to the fifth best Mariner of the 2018 season.

5. DH NELSON CRUZ

2018 stats (as of 8/29/18): .266 AVG / 32 HR / 81 RBI / .887 OPS / 2.5 fWAR

Jack Zduriencik is a stain that bleeds through the pages of Mariners lore, but he did give us Nelson Cruz. For that, I have to give him a very small amount of respect.

When Cruz was signed in 2014, the narrative was that his 40 home run season in Baltimore was a mere fluke and his power would not translate successfully to Safeco Field. Over the past three seasons, Cruz has silenced his doubters with seasons of 44, 43, and 39 home runs, and currently sits at 32 this year.

Not only has he hit for power in Seattle, but has been a high on-base presence on a consistent basis.

Cruz is now 38-years-old and, as older age in professional sports goes, injuries begin to rear their ugly head. Despite being hindered by multiple ailments over the course of the 2018 season, Cruz has still been a dominant force in the middle of the Mariners lineup.

Not a whole lot else can be said about Cruz except for a message I’d like to personally send to the Mariners’ front office:

RE-SIGN THIS MAN.

4. LHP MARCO GONZALES

2018 stats (as of 8/29/18): 12-9 / 4.32 ERA / 3.53 FIP / 1.28 WHIP / 2.8 fWAR

This is a “what have you done for me lately?” kind of league. For those that live by that mantra, then Gonzales’ inclusion in this list may trigger an irritation.

If that’s you, then first of all, you need to go home and rethink your life. Secondly, for the majority of the 2018 MLB season, Marco Gonzales was one of the best starters in the American League.

Up until the All-Star break, Gonzales was in the top 15 in FIP and BB/9 for American League starters. The great success, to be honest, was ahead of schedule for Gonzales, who entered his first full season since returning from Tommy John surgery.

With all that said, the wear and tear of a full season has finally caught up to Gonzales, who has struggled over his last month of work and has found himself on the disabled list with a neck injury.

Considering the major concerns regarding the starting rotation entering the 2018 season, Gonzales’ success has been a major bright spot for the Mariners, and is ultimately worthy of being a part of this list.

2. OF MITCH HANIGER

2018 stats (as of 8/29/18): .281 AVG / 22 HR / 83 RBI / .852 OPS / 3.3 fWAR

As you may have noticed, Haniger and Segura have combined for 6.6 fWAR in 2018. Thanks, Arizona.

For the first three months of the season, Haniger was a legitimate American League MVP candidate. But regression happens, and it hit Haniger pretty hard. Still, he’s been a fantastic player for the Mariners both offensively and defensively.

Since taking over the leadoff spot in the Mariners’ lineup, Haniger has slashed .351/.402/.588 with a pair of leadoff homers. Such production has been Springer-esque and has given the Mariners a huge edge in starting games off with a strong on-base presence.

Haniger has been the best bat in the Mariners lineup, which earned him his first ever All-Star Game selection. The Mariners haven’t had a strong outfield in quite some time, but Haniger is helping to change that.

While he’s a bit on the older side for a player with as little Major League experience as he has, the future is still very bright for Haniger and the Mariners.

1. RHP EDWIN DIAZ

2018 stats (as of 8/29/18): 50 SV / 1.97 ERA / 1.48 FIP / 0.78 WHIP / 15.19 K/9 / 3.3 fWAR

The 2018 season could very well end in a Cy Young award for Edwin Diaz. He’s just been that good. Diaz needs 13 saves over the final 29 games of the season to break Francisco Rodriguez’s single-season saves record – a feasible accomplishment considering how many one-run affairs the Mariners have had.

Scott Servais’ reluctance to consistently use Diaz outside of save situations may ultimately kill his Cy Young dreams, but his value to the Mariners is unmatched. Simply put, the Mariners would not be where they are with any other closer this season. The enormous success rate in one-run games is historical.

Jerry Dipoto’s decision to convert Diaz into a full-time reliever may rival the “Hanigura” deal as his greatest achievement in his tenure with the Mariners. Diaz has already become the best reliever in Major League Baseball and is just 24-years-old.

Like Wade LeBlanc and Dee Gordon, Diaz has not only performed on the field but has also molded this team into a family. Diaz’s “haircut bet” with Servais helps eliminate the disconnect most managers and their players have. It’s added a level of intrigue and incentive to Diaz’s saves, and the results were absolutely worth it.

Diaz is a key member of this organization presently and for years beyond. It’s hard to see him being even better than he’s been this season, but considering his age, it wouldn’t shock me.