The 10 Best Draft Picks the Mariners have ever made in the MLB Draft

Ken Griffey Jr. Mari
Ken Griffey Jr. Mari / Otto Greule Jr/GettyImages
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Dave Henderson: 1977: Round 1, Pick 26, 7.7 (27.6) WAR

The Mariners first-ever franchise pick in the draft was Dave "Hendu" Henderson. Younger fans may only know him as the lovable announcer who was in the Mariners booth for a decade. He actually played here for 5.5 seasons and was a good building block for the young and inexperienced team.

With a .257/.317/.433 line, Henderson had a nice mix of power as he would hit 79 HR for the Mariners and 114 2B while swiping 25 bags. An average defender, Henderson would find solid success after leaving the Mariners, both at the plate and in the field.

MVP votes in both 1988 and 1991 for the Athletics would come alongside his only All Star appearance in 1991. It was a great four year stretch that saw him hit .275/.338/.456 with a 125 OPS+ and 84 HR, a big part of Oaklands success at the time. His WAR was stellar, with a combined dWAR of 5.6 and a total WAR of 20.8.

Shoot, that would've been nice for Mariners fans. He definitely still had good memories here, as it's where he ended up as het got back into baseball to call games.

Rest in Peace, Hendu.