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.