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You can find almost anything on the internet if you both know how to ask and where to look. I was pondering who were the Mariners "Killers" of 2023, the ones who did the best against the team, and decided to look into it. The results had some very familiar names and some surprising ones as well. There were some others on the list, and the Astros trio of Tucker, Alvarez, and Altuve all did their own damage, but I don't want to talk about the Astros.
I decided to throw a number of 20 AB on here as the minimum. Sure, there were guys who did well, but I wanted to see the ones who did damage against the Mariners. Sorry Jason Heyward, Alejandro Kirk, and Nick Castellanos... actually, no, not sorry. I'm glad we didn't have to see you or face you anymore than we already did. They went a combined 23-41 with 4 2B, 3 HR, and 7 runs scored.
So, we will start off with some guys from the AL Central who had the Mariners number this year. I think this is the weirdest group of guys, and ones you wouldn't really expect. It does hurt that one of the names on here was one of the FA that many fans wanted last season. I'm breaking this into three sections. Some AL Central guys, others who just straight up were impressive, and then... ewww. The Rangers.
Cubs/Royals: Nelson Velazquez: 10-26, 4 HR, 9 R, 9 RBI, .385/.407/.885
We start off with possibly the guy who played the best against the Mariners. Others may have had a better average, OBP, or SLG, they may have driven in more runs, but what makes it so impressive for Velazquez is the fact that he did it in just 26 AB. He had 10 hits and scored 9 times. Imagine scoring nearly every time you get on base. If someone like, oh I dont know, Marcus Semien did that, he might just score 17 times in a season against the Mariners.
Twins: Edouard Julien: 11-24, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 5 BB, 7 R, .458/.552/.917
Julien had a .552 OBP against the Mariners this season, and it's almost hard to comprehend a number like that. In 29 trips to the plate, he got on base 16 times. That's wild. He made sure to make the most of it, going deep 3 times and scoring 7 times. Pair him with the next guy on the list, and you're in for a rough day.
Twins: Max Kepler: 11-27, 2 HR, 7 R, 8 RBI, .407/.414/.741
The fact that two Twins make this list shows how a couple of players can make a massive difference in a series, or even throughout the season. Together they combined for 5 HR, 14 R, and 12 RBI. When you get that from just two hitters, it makes it easy for a team to steal a couple of games. The Mariners still managed to go 4W3L against the Twins, but Kepler and Julien kept it from being any worse.
White Sox: Andrew Benintendi: 10-22, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .450/.500/.818
This one stinks, because he was a name that many a Mariners fan wanted them to sign for 2023. Honestly, he struggled a bit this season, but that wasn't the case against the Mariners. He had one of the best slash lines in baseball against them, and they're lucky he wasn't in a position more often to do damage against the Mariners.