Seattle Mariners: 10 Best Power Hitters in History

The Seattle Mariners don't hit with a lot of power; there's no question about that. So, to brighten everyone's spirits, here's a trip down memory lane and a look at the 10 best power hitters in Mariner history.

Ah, the days of the Kingdome and 12-11 victories.

The days of Ken Griffey Jr, Jay Buhner, Alex Rodriguez and Edgar Martinez.

Those were some true power hitters, but how exactly do they rank against each other?

Hopefully in 10 years we'll be seeing guys like Dustin Ackley and Justin Smoak on this list, but that's an argument for another day.

Here's the list. 

10. Richie Sexson

As much as every Mariner fan hates simply seeing the name Richie Sexson, he hit for a good amount of power while he was here.

He put together two 30+ homer seasons, and actually averaged 35 dingers per 162 games on top of a .488 slugging percentage.

Those are numbers of a top power hitter, but Sexson only hit consistently for two years and that's why he doesn't jump any higher on this list. 

9. Alvin Davis

It might be surprising to most people, but Alvin Davis is actually fifth on the Mariners all-time home run list with 160.

Still though, Davis benefited from being in Seattle from for a long time with no major injuries. He averaged 146 games per season.

During his time with the M's, Davis, who put together one of the best rookie seasons in Mariner history with 27 homers, average 23 long balls per 162 games and slugged an impressive .453.

He never hit 30 in his career, but still comes in at No. 9.  

8. Ken Phelps

You probably don't immediately think of Ken Phelps for a power hitters list, but when he was healthy, he quietly had a lot of pop.

Phelps never really put together a full season, as his career high for games played in a season was 125. Still though, Phelps put together three seasons of 20+ homers with Seattle.

Add in two injury-riddled seasons, and Phelps actually averaged 33 homers per 162 games and slugged .517, which are both very impressive numbers.

If he could have stayed healthy, it's likely he would find himself much higher on this list.

Photo from Flickr

7. Raul Ibanez

First off, let's just forget Raul Ibanez's first stint with the Mariners when he hit 14 homers in 478 at bats for a slugging percentage of .383.

However, when Ibanez came back to Seattle in 2004 he had certainly found his power stroke. In five seasons, he averaged 23 long balls per season, slugged .477 and even hit 33 homers in 2006.

6. Tino Martinez

Tino Martinez's numbers with Seattle were actually quite similar to Ibanez's, but Martinez climbs a spot higher because he, unlike Ibanez, was impressive early in his career with the M's.

Martinez improved his numbers every year with Seattle, finishing with 31 homers and a .551 slugging percentage in 1995. 

Throughout his whole career with the Mariners, Martinez averaged 27 homers per year and slugged .466 on his way to being the sixth best power hitter in team history.

5. Brett Boone

Like Ibanez, Brett Boone started off his Mariner career with a lack of power, hitting 16 homers in 109 games. Still though, that's actually not a bad ratio.

Boone returned to Seattle eight years later with a vengeance. He had seasons of 37, 24, 35 and 24 homers, which comes out to an average of 32 homers per 162 games.

Throw in the fact that he slugged .501 during that four-year stretch and a bonus point for doing it as a second baseman, and Brett Boone is easily one of the most powerful hitters in Mariner history.

If it weren't for that eight-year gap, Boone could have challenged some of the all-time Mariner greats.

4. Edgar Martinez

Edgar Martinez doesn't climb higher on this list because he was more of an overall hitter. He might even be the greatest overall hitter in Mariners history.

Edgar is second in team history in total home runs, but stretch that out over 18 seasons and it's "only" 24 per 162 games.

Martinez is quite possibly the best doubles hitter ever, however, and that puts his slugging percentage at an impressive .515.

If we are talking pure home-run hitting ability, Martinez isn't anything special, but he harnessed his impressive power into a crazy amount of doubles. 

3. Alex Rodriguez

If he had spent his whole career with the Mariners, it's likely Alex Rodriguez would find himself at the No. 1 spot.

Still though, in just five full seasons, it is impressive that A-Rod climbs to the three spot. His 162-game average stands at 39 home runs, which is all the more ridiculous when you consider these seasons came before the age of 25. 

Rodriguez had four seasons of over 35 home runs and slugged .561 during his time with Seattle. Yikes. 

As much as most people hate him, he's one of the best power hitters in baseball history. 

2. Jay Buhner

Jay Buhner had one main role with the Seattle Mariners: hit home runs. And he did it well.

Buhner averaged 34 homers per 162 games and slugged .494, but even more impressively, he hit with consistency.

Bone had eight seasons with 20 or more homers, and in 1996 he earned the record for most homers by a Mariner not named Griffey with 44.

Speaking of Griffey.

1. Ken Griffey Jr.

Despite his unsuccessful return in 2009 an 2010, there's really no one question that Ken Griffey Jr. is the best power hitter in Mariner history.

In a four-year span from '96 through '99, Griffey averaged 52 home runs, slugged .615 and had an OPS of .996. Yeah, .996 in a four-year span. Not bad.

Griffey is also the Mariners' all-time home run leader, he has the two best seasons of slugging percentage, the second most doubles, blah blah blah.

Griffey's the best. No question.