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Seattle Mariners: The Final Countdown – Top 5 Players of All Time

By Nick Lee

Aug 6, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners former player Ken Griffey Jr. leads the crowd in a chant during his number retirement ceremony before the start of a game against the Los Angeles Angels at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 6, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners former player Ken Griffey Jr. leads the crowd in a chant during his number retirement ceremony before the start of a game against the Los Angeles Angels at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Seattle Mariners
Jul 26, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Felix Hernandez (34) pitches to the Minnesota Twins during the 9th inning at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Felix Hernandez (2005-present)

King Felix truly is king of the Mariners pitchers, with his name at the top of numerous records. Last season he became the franchise’s all-time leader in wins and strikeouts, normally considered the two biggest stats for pitchers.

Hernandez is beloved, due to the fact that he has been a Mariner through and through since the beginning. He broke into the league at age 19 as a phenom from Venezuela.

All he has done since then is make six All-Star teams, win the 2010 Cy Young, strike out 200+ in six straight seasons and rewrite the Mariners record books. He also has a perfect game to boot.

Hernandez’s best season statistically was 2014, when he won 15 games with a stifling 2.14 ERA, which led the American League. He pitched 236 innings and struck out 248.

Notorious for not getting much run support, it’s amazing to think of how many wins he would have (he currently sits at 154) if he pitched with perhaps the Mariners’ lineup of the 1990s. He is yet to pitch in the postseason and his aim is to change that narrative.

The book on Hernandez has not closed yet. He is signed until 2020 and there is still a lot he can accomplish.

However, it would be shorter to list out the pitching records he has not broken as a Mariner. Hernandez is perhaps one of the most beloved in Mariners history, which is why he is closer to the top three than the top 10.

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