#1: Edgar Martinez: 1995 w/7.3 oWAR. Also, 1992 w/7.1, 1996 w/6.5, 1997 w/6.2, 2000 w/5.7, 1994 w/5.6, 1998 w/5.6
I’m cheating here… but not really. I’m including the playoffs because of what it meant. Normally I wouldn’t, but this is different. Think about where the Mariners were in 1995. They had never made the playoffs. In. Their. History.
A-Rod was only 19, and would play in just 48 games, showing little of the superstar he was about to become. This was Edgar and Griffey’s team, and they were one of the most exciting tandems in all of baseball. Oh, and there was a particularly nasty man on the man named Randy Johnson. That’s a story (or series) for another day.
Edgar’s mark of 7.3 oWAR is actually 7th all-time. A-Rod had three better, Griffey had two, and Boone had one. Guess what? I don’t care, because Edgar’s 1995 season is the greatest offensive season in Mariners history. For those who are solely about the numbers, I’m guessing you disagree. For anyone that lived through it, remembers it, or has done their research, I truly believe you’re sitting there and saying “Yup. I think he’s right.”
Notice I didn’t say it’s the highest, best, or strongest statistically. I said it was the greatest. I’m not gonna sit here and wax poetically about it. I’m not going to layout 1,000 words on why I think it is. Instead, I’m only going to do a couple of things. I’m gonna give you his stat line, the Mariners record, and a couple of videos that do a better job of explaining what happened than my paltry little mind could ever dream of eclipsing.
- 1995 Mariners. 79-66, won the AL West. Won the AL Divisional Series 3-2 over NYY.
- .356/.479/.628. 1.107 OPS, 185 OPS+, 52 2B, 29 HR, 113 RBI, 121 R, 145 Games
Edgar’s the greatest. You can be right and agree, or disagree and just be wrong. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Let me know what you think about the list, and if there is anything that I missed. The Mariners have had some great seasons in their history, and some incredible individual ones as well.