Ranking the Best First Baseman in Mariners Team History

Seattle Mariners John Olerud (R) is congratulated by teammates after his second-inning 2-run home run during their game against the Texas Rangers 17 April 2001. AFP PHOTO/Dan Levine (Photo by DAN LEVINE / AFP) (Photo by DAN LEVINE/AFP via Getty Images)
Seattle Mariners John Olerud (R) is congratulated by teammates after his second-inning 2-run home run during their game against the Texas Rangers 17 April 2001. AFP PHOTO/Dan Levine (Photo by DAN LEVINE / AFP) (Photo by DAN LEVINE/AFP via Getty Images)
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Mariners John Olerud
Seattle Mariners John Olerud (R) is congratulated by teammates after his second-inning 2-run home run during their game against the Texas Rangers 17 April 2001. AFP PHOTO/Dan Levine (Photo by DAN LEVINE / AFP) (Photo by DAN LEVINE/AFP via Getty Images)

Mariners John Olerud – 15.1

Far and away my favorite first baseman for the Mariners (well, until France hopefully passes him after destroying baseballs, hitting .300, and staying healthy for the next 5-10 years), John Olerud was a great Mariner. He came over back in 2000 and would spend 4+ years in Seattle, and put together an extremely consistent run for the Mariners.

He started off with seasons of 3.6, 4.6, and 4.5 (9th, 2nd, 3rd) fWAR, and straight raked while he was here. The defense was still good, but worse than his time with the Mets. Really though, we were seeing the second-best first baseman to ever play for the Mariners, and the greatest three-year stretch that anyone at the position had put together in the team’s history.

Olerud was a big piece of why the Mariners made the playoffs those first two years he was with the team. He hit about .295/.395/.455 over those two seasons with 198 RBI. After some of the big names had left the Mariners, Olerud was there to fill a void, and he did a spectacular job doing it.

I can only imagine how awesome it would’ve been to have Olerud for a decade. From 1993-2002, he had 47 fWAR. We got him towards the end, and it was a lot of fun to watch him. He still takes second fiddle to Mr. Mariner.

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