Why Ichiro Suzuki out-ranks Griffey, Martinez as the greatest Mariner ever

Ichiro Suzuki is one of those names everybody knows. Really, just Ichiro. Everybody knows Ichiro.

He's the international all-time hits leader among professional baseball players, a legend who won Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season, was named to 10 All-Star games and, ultimately, got into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot, falling just one vote short of being a unanimous selection.

Ichiro Suzuki is also the greatest Seattle Mariners player of all time.

That's a bold statement to make, especially when Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson and Alex Rodriguez exist. Not to mention Cal Raleigh, who is having the greatest season a catcher has ever had. There have been a lot of truly special players in Seattle's rich baseball history, but Ichiro is the greatest.

How, you ask? Let's talk about it.

What makes Ichiro Suzuki a Mariners legend unlike any other

Ichiro is a Hall of Famer. That should immediately put him in the Mariners' top four, alongside fellow Cooperstown alums Griffey, Johnson and Martinez on the franchise's Mount Rushmore.

Next, it's fair to eliminate Johnson from candidacy for the best Mariner ever. "The Big Unit" was incredible in a Mariners uniform, but his best years came in Arizona. Only 39 of his career 103.5 bWAR came during his 10 years in Seattle. He played 14 years for other teams, including eight with the Diamondbacks, where he racked up 52.6 bWAR and won four of his five Cy Youngs. Also, he chose to enter the Hall of Fame as a D-back.

That leaves Ichiro, Griffey and Martinez.

Martinez is an all-time great Mariner who spent 18 seasons in Seattle. He was one of the first full-time DHs to make the Hall of Fame. His 68.4 career bWAR ranks second in Mariners history, while his 147 wRC+ ranks first.

However, his production was spread out over 18 seasons. He averaged 3.8 bWAR per season, compared to Ichiro's average of 4.8 bWAR per season from 2001-2012. It's unfair to count 2018 and 2019, when Ichiro returned to the Mariners to play in a grand total of 17 games.

There's a reason why Ichiro was a first-ballot Hall of Famer while Martinez spent 10 years on the ballot. Ichiro peaked higher and for longer. He's the better player.

But what about Griffey? Surely, Ichiro Suzuki is not better than Ken Griffey Jr?

Statistically, in the MLB, no. Griffey was better all-around. He hit better, fielded better and was worth 15 more bWAR than Ichiro with the Mariners.

However, that leaves out a crucial bit of context. Ichiro arrived in Seattle at age 27. Griffey arrived in Seattle at age 19.

When Ichiro first put on a Mariners uniform, he had already played nine seasons of professional baseball in Japan. Griffey played his entire prime in Seattle. Ichiro played only four seasons in Seattle before turning 30. From 2001 to 2004, the Mariners got Ichiro at his best. He was worth 6.5 bWAR per season, hit .339 with an .828 OPS, won an MVP award and set the MLB single-season hits record in 2004.

Imagine if Ichiro had come to Seattle even two or three years earlier. His numbers in Japan were electric, with a .353 batting average and a .943 OPS. Ichiro, from age 27 to 38, was worth 57.2 bWAR in 12 seasons. Griffey from age 19 to 29 was worth 70.7 bWAR. A significantly older version of Ichiro was not far behind Griffey in value.

And when it came to loyalty, nobody had Ichiro beat. While both he and Griffey requested trades out of Seattle, they did so for different reasons. Griffey left the Mariners while they were at the peak of their powers in the late 1990s, ending up with the Cincinnati Reds because he wanted to play for his hometown team and because he wanted to be closer to his home and family in Orlando. He did eventually return to the Mariners, but struggled and ultimately quit midseason in 2010.

Ichiro's trade request came in 2012 after years of losing. The Mariners had been rebuilding for the better part of a decade, and Ichiro wanted a chance to win the World Series. After 12 years in Seattle, the Mariners honored his request and sent him to the New York Yankees.

Ichiro also returned to Seattle, and like Griffey, he received a hero's welcome. While Griffey did join the Mariners' ownership group in 2021, Ichiro has had more of a hands-on role in his post-retirement years. He has helped coach the team and develop its younger players since calling it a career in 2019.

Ichiro's loyalty and statistical dominance, even when past the prime age of his career, ultimately make him the greatest player to ever suit up for the Seattle Mariners franchise.