The Five Greatest Center Fielders in Mariners History

Centerfield is a position with a long and rich history for Seattle. The team’s first-ever Hall of Famer played centerfield. The team’s one real hope going into the upcoming patrols the same ground. It’s a shame not to include future Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki in this list. While he did play 322 games in center, he’s most known for his time as a right fielder. With Seattle, that’s where he spent the bulk of his time.

The Five Greatest Center Fielders in Mariners History

Ruppert Jones

Dealt to Seattle in the expansion draft, Ruppert Jones was the first Mariner to take the centerfield reins in 1977. He was also the Mariners’ first All-Star. His ’77 campaign saw him put up 4.1 WAR. A feat that was not matched by a Mariners centerfielder until 1990, by a name you’ll most likely recognize, but we’ll get to later.

Jones’ time in Seattle, while short, was productive. He had 8.1 WAR in three seasons, slashing .257/.333/.418, with 51 home runs and 200 RBI. His All-Star season of 1977, which saw him slash .263/.324/.454 with 24 home runs and 76 RBI, was his best during his Seattle tenure. His 24 home runs would turn out to be his career best, and he would only be 76 RBI one other time, in his third year in Seattle, when he got 78.

Jones was traded to the New York Yankees in 1980 and would spend seven more years in the league before retiring.

Franklin Gutierrez

Franklin Gutierrez, the anchor of the Mariners’ outfield in the late 2000s and early 2010s, was acquired in December of 2008 and would debut for Seattle in 2009. Julio Rodríguez, for 2000s kids, Gutierrez was the power and speed threat the Mariners had been missing.

Much to the chagrin of Mariners’ fans, his time in Seattle was riddled with injuries. He only played in more than 100 games four times in his career, two of which were with Seattle. When he was on the field, though, he was a force for Seattle. His incredible defense paved the way for his bat to shine. No more so than the 2009 season. His first year in the teal and blue saw him hit a career-high 18 home runs and slash .283/.339/.425. The following year, he won his first and only gold glove. The first Mariners outfielder to do so since Ichiro in 2007.

His time in Seattle saw him slash .257/.312/.409 with 74 home runs and 268 RBI. He put up 12.8 WAR across seven seasons.

Mike Cameron

Coming over from the Cincinnati Reds in the deal for Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Cameron was tasked with somehow replacing the Hall of Famer. He did about as good of a job in three seasons as you could. Certainly not the Hall of Fame level player that Griffey was, Cameron provided excellent centerfield defense. On top of that, he had a power and speed combo that few could match. From 2001 to 2003, Cameron put up 14.3 WAR and slashed .253/.345/.451 with 68 home runs and 266 RBI. He also swiped 82 bags, averaging 27 a season.

Cameron earned his first and only All-Star appearance in 2001, a Gold Glove, and even MVP votes. He was a major contributor to the Mariners’ 116-win season in 2001, in which he had his best campaign with Seattle and arguably his best career. He put up a career high 5.9 WAR and 110 RBI. He would go on to win another Gold Glove with Seattle in 2003.

Julio Rodríguez

Instantly a fan favorite after he made the team in 2022, Rodríguez has become the heartbeat of a Mariners team that continues to come oh-so-close to making the playoffs. He was instrumental in ending the drought in his rookie year, where he put up his career-best 6.2 WAR. J-Rod also slashed .284/.345/.509 and hit 28 home runs and 75 RBI. 2025 will be Julio’s fourth big league season, and he’s yet to put up less than 4 WAR.

Back-to-back All-Star appearances and Silver Slugger awards in his first two seasons, no less than 20 home runs, no less than 24 stolen bases. Rodríguez is the best centerfielder the Mariners have had since Griffey. He’s already accounted for 15.9 WAR, 80 home runs, and 246 RBI.

2024 was a down year for the superstar, but he still slashed.273/.325/.409, with 20 home runs and 68 RBI. Julio also plays a tremendous centerfield and could easily have three Gold Glove awards. While 2022 might be his best statistical year, 2024 was his most impactful, putting up a career-high 32 home runs and 103 RBI, finishing fourth in MVP voting.

Ken Griffey Jr.

The only player on this list whose spot was never once in doubt. The earlier 1990 player is Seattle legend and baseball Hall of Famer, Ken Griffey Jr. The first Mariner to go into the Hall of Fame as a Mariner, Griffey received MVP votes in nine of his first 10 seasons. He’s also seventh all-time in home runs with 630.

Griffey was an unstoppable force in the best baseball teams Seattle has ever and will ever see. He never put up a WAR below three during his first 11 years in the league. His MVP-winning season of 1997, where he hit 56 home runs, led the league with 147 RBI and slashed .304/.382/.646, is probably the best season a Mariners player ever will have. The 9.1 WAR he put up in that season, isn’t even his career high. That would be 1996, where he tallied 9.7. Griffey had nine seasons where he put up more than five WAR.; two were over nine, and four total were over seven.

Griffey’s 70.6 WAR with Seattle is the franchise high, with fellow Hall of Famer Edgar Martinez in second place at 68.4. To put that into perspective, the active Mariner with the most is J.P. Crawford with 17.5, not much more than Julio Rodriguez’s 15.9. He also holds the franchise record for home runs and RBI in a season, with 56 and 147.

Griffey inspired a generation of Seattle baseball fans and is easily the best player to grace the Mariners lineup.