Comparing Kyle Lewis’ ROY Season to Former Seattle Mariners ROYs

How does Seattle Mariners outfielder Kyle Lewis compare to Seattle Mariners greats?

As you probably already know, Kyle Lewis took home the Rookie of the Year honors in 2020. He was one of the few bright spots for the Seattle Mariners and posted a .262/.364/.437 line.

Lewis joins a select group of Seattle Mariners players to win the AL Rookie of the Year award. The group includes Alvin Davis, Kazuhiro Sasaki, and Ichiro Suzuki. So how does he stack up against these other Mariners ROY performances?

Mr. Mariner – Alvin Davis

Alvin Davis won rookie of the year way back in 1984. The 23-year-old at the time posted a .284/.391/.497 line. Davis also hit 27 home runs and 116 RBIs.

His outstanding performance got him a spot on the All-Star team, which would be the only selection of his career. Davis also finished 12th in MVP voting in his rookie season.

Kyle Lewis was not too far off from Davis’ numbers, but Davis does have the edge in terms of power. There is a 60 point difference in slugging percentage, but I think Kyle could have matched Davis’ 27 home runs if 2020 were a full season.

But, Alvin Davis’ immediate impact on the team made him a fan favorite where he received the Mr. Mariner nickname. Kyle did become an instant fan favorite also, but he will not be topping Davis’ nickname.

Davis also became the inaugural member of the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame and will be remembered as one of the first Mariners legends. Although Kyle put up some great numbers, Alvin Davis had an incredible rookie season while making a huge impact on the city of Seattle.

Seattle Mariners Greats = 1, Kyle Lewis = 0

The All-Star Closer – Kazuhiro Sasaki

It took a while for another Seattle Mariners player to win ROY after Alvin Davis. Kazuhiro Sasaki happened to be the second-oldest big leaguer to win the award when he won in 2000.

Sasaki joined the Mariners at a crucial time, helping the team make the postseason. He saved 37 games with a 3.16 ERA while striking out 78 batters in just 62.2 innings.

It is tough to compare Kyle Lewis to Sasaki because they are not both position players, but I think Sasaki had a more impressive rookie season. Sort of like Alvin Davis, Sasaki played an integral part in Seattle Mariners history.

Kyle Lewis did a great job in 2020, don’t get me wrong. But Sasaki’s closer role helped the team finish 91-71, which helped prepare the team for a really big 2001.

Seattle Mariners Greats = 2, Kyle Lewis = 0

I-Chi-Ro

Sorry Kyle… but the trend continues. Kyle Lewis does not beat out any of the former Seattle Mariners ROY performances. Ichiro joined the Mariners in 2001, and I think we all know how it went.

He posted a .350/.381/.457 line, while stealing 56 bases. Ichiro also won AL MVP while winning ROY, do I need to say more?

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Ichiro had arguably one of the best Rookie of the Year performances in MLB history. He made his first All-Star game, won a Gold Glove, and the Silver Slugger Award. To say the least, no one was expecting a 27-year-old outfielder from Japan to sweep the MLB off of their feet.

Although Kyle doesn’t beat out these three Mariners performances, in my opinion, I still love him. Kyle Lewis is the guy, just like Ichiro and Alvin Davis were during their time as Mariners players.

Lewis has the torch in his hand, and let’s see how far he can guide us down this dark cave that Seattle Mariners fans have been in for too long.