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Three Seattle Mariners legends MLB The Show Should Include
Earlier in February, MLB The Show 22 came out with their cover athlete, and they absolutely got it correct. Shohei Ohtani is a beast, a monster, and one of the most talented players to ever step foot on a baseball diamond. That’s not what I want to talk about though (still sad he didn’t come to the Mariners), what I want to talk about is the Legends and former players that the game has in Diamond Dynasty.
We’ve had a couple of articles about The Show over the last year, from the predictions to the actual Diamond Dynasty Rankings and Franchise Rankings when the game came out, to the best Mariners cards that appeared in the 2021 edition of the game. There were some awesome Mariners cards that you could add to your lineup. However, there can always be more.
It’s why I wanted to think up some Mariners that the fine folks over at San Diego Studios (Ramone, you’re the man!) could add to the game. They’ve already got Felix in there, multiple Griffey cards, a delightful Edgar Martinez card, and they’ve had Ichiro in the past as well. There are some other good ones that they could put in though.
I’ve got some interesting/fun ones at the end as honorable mentions. They come out with regular cards as well, so it wouldn’t be that surprising to see a breakout pitcher card in the low 80s or a low-ranked rookie card for someone. Not everything has to be a top-level card. Sure, they’re fun to have and dominate with, but they’re expensive and can take a while to get.
It’s why I would love to see a couple of classic all-time Mariners get included in the game. Plus, a player that I think everyone who plays the Show would love to see, but it likely is never going to happen for a reason I’ll explain later. Let’s go in chronological order, and give the Mariners first-ever All-Star a chance for recognition in MLB The Show 22.
1977 All-Star Ruppert Jones – First Mariners All-Star
The Mariners started back in 1977. The team wasn’t good, and well, they wouldn’t be good for a long time. 1995, to be exact. And boy, was that a fun team and an amazing experience.
Back in 1977, though, there was someone that stood out for the Mariners, and it was their first-ever All-Star. Selected from Kansas City with the first pick in the expansion draft, the Mariners took Ruppert Jones to play center field for them, putting their eggs in the basket of a 22-year-old youngster. (It seems like a trend to trust young stud center fielders for the Mariners)
Jones would post a 4.1 WAR that year, slashing .263/.324/.454 with 24 HR and 13 SB. He also provided some decent defense with 11 assists and a 1.1 dWAR. A Jones card in the low 80s, with a good arm, decent glove, high speed (8 3B) but not a great steal number (he was only 13-22 on SB attempts) would make for a nice early-to-mid game card in center. I could see him as a silver hitter and a gold defender, with a little more pop compared to his contact numbers.
You could also use him as a platoon guy, as he was bad vs lefties at .201/.274/.365 in 1977, but smashed RHP with a line of .292/.348/.495. I think he could be one of those surprising cards that hit RHP well for a low gold card, but you would definitely need an outfielder who could hit lefties to spell him in those matchups.
Next we get to someone that more people should know, and that would help younger Mariners fans grow stronger in their knowledge of former Mariners.
1984 Rookie Alvin Davis – Mr. Mariner
You could call this one an All-Star as well, but I think giving it the Rookie designation is more fun and would help with a bit of variation throughout the Mariners cards. One of the better seasons in the history of the Mariners was Davis’s Rookie Year. He would post a 6.0 WAR, win ROY, make the All-Star game, and finish 12th in MVP voting.
With great pop for a rookie, Davis would hit 27 HR, drive in 116, and hit 34 2B. That was a big reason his slugging percentage was so high in his slash line of .284/.391/.497.
Just an average defender, the bat would really play, and I think this could be a card that you could actually use for quite a while. Diamonds start at 85 in Diamond Dynasty, and I think Davis would sneak in there with an 86-87 ranked card. He would likely get a bronze glove ranking, but I think you could get away with giving him diamond hitting. It would teeter on the edge of gold/diamond, but those numbers were great for a Rookie, and the 147 OPS+ is a great number.
The deciding factor to me would be the splits. He hit LHP nearly as good as RHP, with power being the only difference. Check this out
- VS RHP – 361 AB for a .283/.392/.543 w/ 22 HR
- VS LHP – 206 AB for a .286/.389/.418 w/ 5 HR
He’d have a strong contact all around, low power vs lefties, and really good power vs righties, and you could play him all the time.
Lastly, the person that I’d love to see, but would just break the game.
1995 Awards Randy Johnson – Cy Young Season
He might break the game. Who cares. The most dominant lefty (at least scariest) deserves a card in the game. The biggest issue with him would be figuring out a camera view so that you could actually see the ball whenever you had a left-handed hitter in the box. Johnson was at least 6’10”, threw from a disgusting high sidearm 3/4 slot, and made the ball impossible to pick up.
You just know they would have all kinds of perks associated with him for extra speed, break, and the ability to hide the ball. Imagine trying to hit the ball as an LHB when it is actually starting behind your back.
Oh, and it might end up being a ball away from you as well.
He would be pumping 100-102 in the game, the slider would be 90 mph, and he would need to be incredibly hard to get to avoid people spamming him. They seem to have learned from 2020 to not put anyone too good in right away (anyone remember the 99 Kluber card? AKA Klu-bot), and save them for later on.
The Johnson card could be exactly that. Maybe the AL West collection card, or even the AL complete collection card. Or, something that happens in the 3rd or 4th inning, at least a month after the game has been out.
It’s the card I most want to see in the game, and I think it would be incredibly fun to have on your squad. Even though I know I would end up looking like Kruk and Walker whenever I tried to hit off of him.
I’ll finish it off with some honorable mentions. Former Mariners players that would be fun and interesting to have at some point in MLB The Show 22.
Mariners MLB The Show 22 Notable Mentions
I’m not going to put the types of cards or years on these players. I just think that it would be fun to see them in the game. Especially as games are becoming more immersive, the ability to input a little extra for players doesn’t seem like it would be that difficult. A lot of these players have something about them that makes them special, and that could be shown off in the game.
Raul Ibanez – Just to hear “RAUUUUUUUUUUULLLLLLL” from the fans. Imagine getting Raul and Edgar Martinez in your lineup, and putting them back-to-back. Not only would you hear the Raul chant, but then you could even hear someone chanting the drawn-out “Edgar” throughout his at-bat as well. Sure, it might be annoying to some, but I would love to hear it.
Jamie Moyer – When playing online, most people go with the hardest throwers they can find for the sole reason that it’s just hard to time a 102 mph heater and an 85 mph breaking ball or off-speed pitch. On the flip side, you could really mess with people with Moyer because he would be so much slower. Add in a weak contact perk, and he could mess with a lot of hitters.
Harold Reynolds – One of the first great Mariners, he would be fun to have in the game. A couple of All-Star Games and a few Gold Gloves, he would be nice to have as an early stage glove-first second baseman with speed, that could transition to your bench as a pinch-runner later on. Would’ve been more fun when he was the announcer back in 17 and prior like Dan Plesac is now. There’s just something about the announcer talking about themself that is funny.
Norm Charlton – The Sheriff. The Hair. The Attitude. I don’t think it ever happens, but it would be cool to see him in the game. He dominated in 95 and would help towards getting a full roster of former Mariners, since they lack relievers from past teams.
Mike Moore – For a long time, Moore held the record for the best season by a Mariners pitcher. Back in 1985, he had a 6.3 WAR, finishing 10th in Cy Yung voting. He’d get shelled online but would be a good pitcher for challenges with his massive stamina and solid repertoire.
Franklin Gutierrez – One of the more underrated defenders to ever step foot on the field for the Mariners, Guti could be the low-rank version of the Byron Buxton card that planted a flag in center field and said “no baseballs allowed to land out here”. Guti won the Fielding Bible Award two years in a row and provided an insane 3.7 dWAR in 2009.
Next. Ranking the Best Shortstops in Seattle Mariners History. dark
Who else would you want to see in the show for the Mariners? Each year, they are providing more and more players, and we should (hopefully) see a large increase in content in the game this year after the main focus for 2021 was on getting the game to Xbox for the first time and implementing Cross-Play. MLB The Show is an incredible game, and I can’t wait to see which former Mariners player shows up next.