Mariners LF - 2022 Julio Rodríguez
Now, this is technically cheating. However, it felt like a disservice to leave out the sensation and spectacle of J-Rod’s rookie season. The previously mentioned 1996 Buhner season also nearly fit the bill, but he was a right fielder during his time in Seattle, meaning that likely this left-field spot would need to be filled from somewhere else on the diamond.
There is a reason that he won the Rookie of the Year, Silver Slugger and was named to the All-Star Game. He was worth 6.2 WAR in his rookie year. A seventh-place finish in MVP voting was another fantastic first showing at the MLB level for a franchise with a pretty good history of it.
J-Rod slashed .284/.345/.509 with 28 HR and 75 RBI, adding 28 stolen bases and plus-defense with 95th-percentile outs above average.
Although his walk and strikeout rates are less than favorable, his rookie season already ranks amongst the best in Mariners outfield history.