Mariners #5 DH: Daniel Vogelbach – 1.1 fWAR
Oh, Daniel Vogelbach. He’s gotta be one of the “largest” players to ever suit up for the Mariners, and he put that bulk to good use by destroying baseballs. He played a handful of games during his first three seasons with the team, but never saw regular playing time until 2019.
He was having a great run, and his numbers looked a lot better through July than they did by the end of the season. Through 99 games, he was hitting .237/.366/.511 with 25 HR, a K rate of 24.4%, and a BABIP of just .252. So it wasn’t hard to imagine that his average might actually go up to finish out the year.
Instead, it would plummet. Over the last 63 games, Vogey would hit an anemic .139/.281/.270, as the K rate would climb to 32.3%, and he would hit just 5 HR and 3 2B. He would still end up with a 1.6 fWAR on the season, but it would be his last success with the Mariners.
He stunk in 2020 and would be purchased by the Blue Jays. He has had a bit of a resurgence in Milwaukee, showing a great eye still, but an average in the low 200s. That single-season in 2019 was enough to make him a top-5 DH in Mariners history, and on the shortlist of most fans’ favorite Mariners as well.