Seattle Mariners: Top 50 players of all time
By Nick Lee
11. Adrian Beltre (2005-2009)
Some may think this ranking is generous for someone who came to Seattle with as much hype as Beltre and perhaps didn’t live up to the billing. To be fair, when he came to Seattle for the 2005 season, he was coming off of an astronomical year with the Dodgers with 48 home runs and a .334 average.
Perhaps it was unfair to expect the same here in Seattle. His first year as a Mariner was disappointing, with only 19 home runs and a .255 average. He slowly improved in the coming years.
Beltre’s best season in Seattle was 2007. He hit 26 home runs with 99 RBI, a .276 average, and 41 doubles. He also won one of his five career Gold Gloves that season.
He would win a second Gold Glove in a row the next year. In 2008, he also became the fourth Mariner to hit for the cycle when he did so against his current team, the Texas Rangers. He hit 25+ home runs three times in Seattle.
Beltre never quite lived up to the lofty expectations of his five-year, $64 million deal. Nevertheless, he finished his Mariners career with 103 home runs and 751 hits in five seasons.
He finished in the top 10 in numerous categories in club history, such as WAR (7th) and defensive WAR (3rd). After playing out his contract, Beltre signed with the Red Sox. He went on to make four more All-Star teams for Boston and the Rangers.
Beltre also has accumulated two Platinum Gloves (awarded to the best overall fielder in each league). With 445 career home runs and 2,942 hits, he is building a Hall of Fame resume.