Ranking Cal Raleigh's 2025 among the 5 greatest Mariners seasons of all-time

Now that the Mariners' regular season has officially concluded, we can get a final tally on Cal Raleigh's numbers: 705 plate appearances, a .247/.359/.589 slash line, 60 home runs, and 125 RBI. A historic season in more ways than one, Raleigh could be just the third MVP in Mariners history depending on how voters stack his numbers against those of Aaron Judge.

But where does 2025 Cal Raleigh fall in the all-time list of great single-season performances from Seattle Mariners? Here's a list of the top five, ranked based on individual performance and overall impact on the franchise.

Placing Cal Raleigh's 2025 among the 5 greatest seasons in Mariners history

5. Ken Griffey Jr. - 1996

Statistically, Griffey's 1996 season is the highest single-season fWAR (9.7) posted by a Mariner since the inception of the franchise. In his age-26 season, he posted a 154 OPS+ with 49 home runs and 16 stolen bases, all while playing Gold Glove defense in center field. He also received his fourth Silver Slugger, seventh All-Star nomination, and placed fourth in MVP voting somewhat questionably behind Albert Belle, Alex Rodriguez, and Juan González.

Of course, this was before the age of advanced analytics and without the 148 RBI of Belle, .358 batting average of Rodriguez, or cool mustache of González, Griffey had a less obvious case for the award.

The 1996 season was a sort of transitional one for the Mariners, as it lacked the playoff heroics and stadium drama of 1995 and the team would miss the postseason, winning just 85 games and placing second in a suddenly competitive AL West. Seattle would return to the top of the division in 1997 and Griffey would eventually get the only MVP award of his career, but 1996 remains his most impressive statistical season.

4. Ichiro Suzuki - 2001

Not only did 2001 mark the year the Mariners tied the all-time single-season win total at 116, it was also the year that Ichiro Suzuki made his MLB debut. Despite concerns in the media about the ability for a Japanese position player to compete against big-league pitching, Ichiro quickly put those concerns to rest by leading all of MLB in hits (242), stolen bases (56), and tying Larry Walker's batting average (.350). For his efforts, he received every accolade imaginable, including an All-Star nod, A Silver Slugger, a Gold Glove, the Rookie of the Year award, and the MVP award.

Looking back through a lens of more advanced analytics, Ichiro's season was still great but perhaps not as impressive as we may have initially thought. Jason Giambi had a much more compelling MVP case, posting 3.2 more fWAR and posting a greater OPS by 300 points. However, given that this was the start of a Hall of Fame career as well as the best team season in history, Ichiro's rookie campaign remains one of the most memorable.

3. Cal Raleigh - 2025

What makes Cal Raleigh's year one of the best isn't just the fact that he has redefined what's possible as a switch-hitting catcher with 60 home runs and top-of-the-line defensive skills, it's the fact that because of his efforts, the Mariners won the AL West for the first time in 24 years. A division that has been lorded over by the Houston Astros finally has a new king. And without their statistical and clubhouse leader, it wouldn't have been possible for the Mariners.

The year is far from over, but the accomplishments of the regular season shouldn't be glossed over regardless of what happens in October. What started with a demonstration of faith by the front office in the form of a nine-figure extension has already turned into one of the best years by a player in the organization's history.

2. Edgar Martínez - 1995

By the numbers, 1995 was the best season in Edgar's illustrious career. He led all of MLB in doubles (52), on-base percentage (.479), and OPS (1.107) while leading the American League in runs (121) and hitting 29 home runs. He won a Silver Slugger and placed third in MVP voting despite having much better numbers than the eventual winner, Mo Vaughn, largely due to the East Coast bias that was all too prevalent at the time. Still, those who watched him play on the field, in the stands, and on television knew that he was one of the best hitters in the sport.

Outside of what he accomplished in the regular season, this was also the year that gave us "The Double", the most notable moment in the entire history of the team and one of the best in baseball. It led the team to play for the American League pennant for the first time and played a major role in preserving baseball in Seattle for years to come.

1. Randy Johnson - 1995

The Big Unit is one of the best pitchers of all time and depending on who you ask, the best left-handed pitcher the sport has ever seen. Over a career that spanned 22 seasons, he amassed 4,875 strikeouts, 10 All-Star nods, five Cy Young awards, four ERA titles, a World Series MVP, and a Triple Crown.

His best years came with the Diamondbacks but his 10 years as a Mariner were nothing to sneeze at, particularly his 1995 campaign that saw him lead all of MLB in strikeouts (294), FIP (2.08), and K/9 (12.3). The 9.5 fWAR he accumulated for the season was 2.5 more than any other season in Mariners history and 2.6 more than any other season pitched by someone not named Randy Johnson. But what makes this single season the best isn't just the utter dominance that Johnson had over 30 starts.

Before the postseason even began, the Mariners and Angels played a regular season tiebreaker to decide who would represent the division in the playoff bracket. In a critical moment, Johnson pitched a complete game, giving up just one earned run and striking out 12 batters while throwing 125 pitches. This is what allowed Seattle to head to the Division Series to begin with.

Edgar receives an appropriate amount of credit for his extra inning heroics in the final game of the 1995 ALDS, but he wouldn't even have been in that position were it not for Johnson's herculean efforts. After throwing 117 pitches across seven innings to secure a 7-4 victory against the Yankees in the third game of the series, he was called upon again just two days later to keep the team afloat in the deciding game. What was originally meant to be a relief appearance of just one inning stretched into 44 pitches over three innings and because he was able to keep the game tied, the rest is history.