MLB: The franchise all-time bracket, AL edition
By Bill Felber
MLB: The Franchise All-Time Bracket (AL Edition)
2018 Boston Red Sox vs. 2001 Seattle Mariners
The 2018 Red Sox‘ 108 victories make it the winningest in franchise history. It’s no surprise, therefore, that the roster presents few if any weaknesses.
Begin with outfielder Mookie Betts. He hit .346, good enough to take the batting title, with 32 homers and 80 RBIs. That resume got him the Most Valuable Player Award.
Add DH J.D. Martinez, who delivered 43 homers, 130 RBIs and a .330 average. Andrew Benintendi and Xander Bogaerts would have been stars on any other team.
The pitching staff features Chris Sale, 12-4, and David Price, 16-7. Rick Porcello added 17 wins and a 4.28 ERA. Craig Kimbrel saved 42 games.
It won the Red Sox bracket by defeating the 196 and, 2004 Sox in four games each, then surviving a seven-game series against the 1912 Red Sox.
The 2001 Mariners drew their fuel from rookie Japanese import Ichiro Suzuki. He broke in with a.350 average to win his first of two batting titles, was voted Rookie of the Year and MVP. Suzuki led the AL with 242 base hits and also led in stolen bases with 56.
Behind Suzuki, John Olerud hit .302, second baseman Bret Boone drove in 141 runs, DH Edgar Martinez added 116 with a .306 average, and outfielder Mike Cameron sent 110 across the plate.
The pitching staff lacked a super-star, but veteran Jamie Moyer was 20-6 and Freddy Garcia added an 18-6 record. Kaz Sasaki, another Japanese import, provided 45 saves.
The 2001 Mariners won the franchise bracket by eliminating the 2014 team in four games, the 2000 team in five, and the 1995 Mariners in five games.
Game 1: The 2018 Red Sox enjoyed a 108-54 .667 season on their way to a World Series victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games. Consider the 116-46 .716 record of the 2001 Mariners in that context; The Mariners would have beaten the Red Sox by eight games in the regular season.
Game 2: The Red Sox, of course, would have gotten even in post-season. Their .786 post-season record overwhelms Seattle’s disappointing .400 post-season percentage.
Game 3: The 2018 Red Sox had a 112 OPS+. The 2001 Mariners, led by Edgar Martinez’s 160, had a 117, winning by five points.
Game 4: The 2001 Mariners lacked a name star, but they did compile a 117 staff ERA+. But the 20-18 Red Sox topped that with a 118 ERA+ of their own. This series is tied at 2-2.
Game 5: The 2018 Red Sox totaled 56.6 WAR. That’s a strong score, but it doesn’t compare with the 67.1 posted by the 2001 Mariners, who were led by Bret Boone (8.8) and Ichiro Suzuki (7.7).
Game 6: The 2001 Mariners fielded .986, five points better than the league average. The Red Sox fielded .987 in 2018, but that was only two points above the league average.
Result: 2001 Mariners in six games