Where does this season rank all-time for the Mariners?

#5: 1997 Mariners

I know that there are a lot of other Mariners fans in the same boat as me. I’m 33, so I’m the age where I actually got to grow up and see the Mariners being a good team and a semi-successful franchise. Remember, from 1995-2001, they made the playoffs in four of seven seasons.

We will get to 1995 later (sorry for the spoiler), but 1997 will always hold a special place in my heart. I can remember going out in the morning and standing in line to wait for playoff tickets with my dad. We went to the first two games in Seattle that year, watching Randy Johnson and Jamie Moyer pitch against the Orioles. I know we were rooting hard for the O’s over the last month, but I sure disliked those birds as a kid.

Even though they lost both of those games, it was one of the experiences that get burned into your memory. Something that will last your entire life, and cements fandom into your being. Has it been tough being a fan? Of course. Would I change it for anything? Nope. Not a chance.

This was the home run season. They broke the record for the most hit in a season, with every starter hitting 10+. When Joey Cora hits 11 homers in a season, you know something special is going on. Griffey won his sole MVP, Edgar hit .330/.456/.554, and the trio of Randy Johnson, Jamie Moyer, and Jeff Fassero went 53-18, with a combined 3.24 ERA.

Fassero kept the series going in game three by preventing the sweep, but during game four the offense failed to show up, and they lost 3-1 as their season came to an end.

#4: 2021 Mariners

Is there a bit of recency bias here? Guess what. Don’t care. What this season meant to fans earns it a spot in the top five, and I’ll make my final stand on that hill. It’s not just the record that puts it here though, there is so much more behind it.

The Farm System. The MLB Squad. The Front Office Changes. The Love.

All of those things were in abundance this year for the Mariners. Start with the front office. It started off as one of the ugliest stories in baseball, from a team perspective. Mather was caught on camera being a big ol’ dumdum. It easily could’ve spiraled out of control, but the players ended up having some fun with it. Very boring indeed. Dipoto ended up moving up, and the team hired Catie Griggs as the new president.

This translated into something I haven’t seen in tandem in quite a while (ever?) for the Mariners. Smart decisions at the deadline, both in the short and long-term, and the team dropping ticket prices to get people to come into the stadium. That blew me away more than anything. Cheap tickets to try and fill the seats. It didn’t always work, but the important part is that, sometimes, it did. 15K during the week for a team that has been BAD for 20 years is a great step.

We all know the farm system has the potential to be special. Go take a look at the rankings (usually #1 or #2 depending on where you look), and the team is just loaded with potential all over the field. Kelenic came up, as did Raleigh and Gilbert. They still have Julio, Kirby, Hancock, Marte, Brash, Williamson, Deloach, and many others that would be top 5-10 in any system. For the Mariners, these players span all the way down to 20th.

Then there’s the team itself. I can’t even count the number of conversations that I had where fans just felt different watching the team this year. That wasn’t as much overhanging dread or despair. The team was fun, the players were enjoyable, and it seemed like each and every one of them both loved playing the game and wanted to be out there playing. Even though they missed out on the playoffs, this is definitely one of the best seasons in the history of the Mariners.

#3: 2000 Mariners

It was the year that Griffey was traded, and honestly, it was a tough time to be a fan. Randy Johnson was gone, and so was Griffey. Two of the staples for Mariners fans were no longer with the team. Little did we know this would be the start of the first back-to-back and only back-to-back playoff appearances in team history.

In return, the Mariners got Mike Cameron to take his place in center, and while impossible to fill the shoes of The Kid, Cameron did an impressive job out there.

A-Rod, Edgar, and Olerud led the way to a 91 win season, as the Mariners nearly won the division, finishing just shy of Oakland. This meant that they were going to have to play the 95 win White Sox. It would also lead to the one and only time the Mariners were involved in a sweep while in the playoffs.

The first game would go to extras, with the Mariners scoring three to win 7-4. They won the second as well, but the excitement would come in the bottom of the ninth in game three.

John Olerud would single and advance to 2nd on an error. They would pinch run for Olerud with Rickey Henderson. They would bunt him over, and after a walk to David Bell to put runners on the corners and set up a potential double play, Carlos Guillen would come to the plate with one out. In a surprising move, the Mariners would attempt a suicide squeeze, with Guillen laying it down good enough for Henderson to scoot on home, and the Mariners would walk it off.

Unfortunately, the Mariners would see the Yankees in the ALCS, losing in six games. It was still that good mix of surprise, success, and fun, making it the third-best season in the history of the Mariners.

#2: 1995 Refuse to Lose Mariners

How can this not be near the top of the list?

Seriously, if you watch this without getting chills or smiling, please go see a doctor. I think something may be wrong with you if that’s the case.

Go back and think about all the amazing, wonderful, crazy things that happened in 1995. MLB was coming off of the strike, and the Mariners seemed like a very talented team. They had yet to make the playoffs in their history, and 106 games into the season, it seemed like that was going to continue.

August 21, 1995. 53-53. 12.5 games back of Anaheim. Two weeks later and it was just 5.5 games. September 21, 72-63… tied for the division. This is the year that the season ended with both the Angels and the Mariners at 78-66. In case you forgot or are too young to know, here’s how that ended.

Was that the moment I truly fell in love with baseball? Possibly. What seven-year-old wouldn’t? From the incredible comeback to tie for the division, winning a tiebreaker/play-in game, to playing the Yankees in the ALDS. Remember, they were down 2-0 in that series. They would come back to tie it, and then Edgar would step to the plate. Just go watch the first video on this slide again. Maybe watch it 24 times. That’s up to you.

The more I think about it, the more I wonder if this season, 1995, is the greatest season in Mariners history. Possibly. The winner though, well, it really just seemed like they had a chance to be one of the greatest teams of all time.

#1: The 2001 Mariners… duh

Was there any other choice for who the best Mariners team in their history was going to be? They went 116-46, and if not for blowing that crazy game in Cleveland, they would’ve finished the season with the most single-season wins in the history of baseball. How crazy is that? We all know that the Mariners tied the record, but really sit and think about it. The Mariners… THE MARINERS… tied for the most wins ever in a season.

Yeah, I know that they didn’t end up making it to the World Series (At least they have that going for them). Still, it was an incredible time to be a fan, the farm system looked good, and there were tons of exciting and interesting players to root for on the big league club.

Remember when Mike Cameron and Bret Boone went back-to-back twice in the same inning against the White Sox? That was the same game that Cameron tied the major league record by going deep four times in a single game.

Ichiro won Rookie of the Year and MVP. He hit .350! Will anyone ever do that again? Edgar was 38 and still hit .308. The lineup actually had FOUR .300 hitters in it! Shoot, this year the Mariners only have four guys with 250+ ABs hitting over .215.

The pitching staff! OH MY. I miss them so much. Freddy. Sele. Moyer. Abbott. Halama. Pineiro. Sazaki, Rhodes, Nelson, and Charlton out of the pen. It was incredible.

For the majority of that season, everything came together, and it truly felt like it might be the Mariners year. Unfortunately, they ran into the juggernaut Yankees during their dynasty run and lost in the ALCS. Still, this was the greatest Mariners team so far in their 45-year history, and I don’t really see an argument for any other team until they make the World Series in 2023. Yeah, I’m calling it now.

What do you think about the list? Would you change up the order? Is there a team that should be in there that missed out on making the list? There aren’t a lot of great options to choose from. If I wanted to make a list like that, I could do most disappointing teams, but I don’t feel like intentionally making myself sad or upset any more than is necessary. Things are looking bright in Seattle, and it’s a great time to be a Mariners fan! (Please don’t let that be a jinx)