Seattle Mariners – Alex Rodriguez (2000)
The Mariners are just a baby compared to their division rivals in Oakland, having only been in existence since 1977. But the M’s have already produced three of the greatest players in the last 25 years, and continue to make the Pacific Northwest a tough place to get a win.
While Ken Griffey, Jr. will go into Cooperstown in a Mariners cap in a little less than a month, and Ichiro Suzuki laid the foundation for his 3,000 hits chase in Seattle, the greatest season the franchise has ever seen came from a 24-year-old shortstop who would soon be on his way to greener pastures.
Alex Rodriguez would win his fourth Silver Slugger and go to his fourth All-Star game in 2000, slashing .316/.420/.606 with 41 home runs, 132 RBI, a 1.026 OPS and a 163 OPS+. His 10.4 bWAR that season not only set his own personal single season record, but that of the Mariners franchise, and was first in the AL by a wide margin.
A-Rod picked up and signed the now infamous 10-year, $250 million contract with the Texas Rangers after the 2000 season, following Griffey, who left for the Cincinnati Reds the season before, out the door. The M’s would manage pretty well despite the losses, going on to set the MLB record for wins in a season in 2001, as would Rodriguez, whose next three seasons would would set franchise records in Arlington.
Next: The encore performance.