New center field rankings remind Mariners fans of team's proud tradition

The most frequent critiques of the Seattle Mariners concern the team's lack of offense and the front office's seeming unwillingness to do anything about it. Several spots in the lineup have been revolving doors for years and the organization has struggled to find long-term staples at positions like first and second base.

However, there's one position that has had a long tradition of excellence and will continue to have a bright future ahead.

The Mariners have a dynasty in center field

In a recent article, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report ranked each team's starting center fielder and Seattle's Julio Rodríguez took the top spot. He has undeniably been the Mariners' biggest superstar and, despite some ups and downs, a career wRC+ of 130 and a total of 15.4 fWAR isn't bad for a 24-year-old with just three years of big league experience.

While Rodríguez is a special player in his own right, Seattle has had a wealth of talent in center field for years, starting with one of the best to ever do it: Ken Griffey Jr. In fact, since his major league debut in 1989, Mariners center fielders have accumulated 142.3 fWAR, the fourth-most of any franchise over that span. Much of that is due to Griffey's contributions, but others chipped in as well.

Mike Cameron was given the tough task of replacing Griffey after he left for the Cincinnati Reds in 2000. Despite the big shoes to fill, he spent four solid years in Seattle and was a big part of the team's record-setting 2001 season. In his 610 games as a Mariner, he posted a .798 OPS and won two Gold Glove awards.

Franklin Gutierrez spent seven years with the Mariners during a pretty miserable span for the club, but still managed to put up some impressive numbers. Offensively, he was right about league-average, ending up with a .721 OPS over his 2,388 plate appearances with the team.

While he earned just a single Gold Glove award in 2010, defense was where Gutierrez earned his paycheck. His best year was in 2009, when he accumulated 6.1 fWAR with just a 104 wRC+ because of his unbelievable 33 Defensive Runs Saved.

While Rodríguez, Griffey, Cameron, and Gutierrez represent the bulk of the excellent work done in center field, the team also saw short but strong showings from players like Kyle Lewis, who won Rookie of the Year in 2020, and Randy Winn. Neither of these players stuck around for the long haul, but their brief stints with the Mariners were still characterized by strong numbers.

There isn't a clear reason as to why Seattle seems to end up with top-tier talent so consistently in center field, but it's a blessing that shouldn't be overlooked. When it comes to Rodríguez, he is one of the few true five-tool players in center field today and seems poised for a return to MVP form in 2025.

Rodríguez has quickly become the lifeblood of the team and when he's hot at the plate, the squad tends to emerge victorious. If and when he does decide to put the team on his back and carry them to another postseason appearance, he'll be the most recent name in a long line of talented players to represent Seattle in the middle of the outfield.