Jeff Nelson among biggest snubs from Mariners’ Top 50 players list

It seems like a bad miss when the all-time franchise leader in pitching appearances isn’t included on the list of Top 50 players in team history.

When the Seattle Mariners unveiled their Top 50 players during Saturday night’s ceremony, the name of relief pitcher Jeff Nelson was missing. It was clearly the biggest snub of any players that were left out of the celebration.

Anytime there is a top whatever list announced there are always going to be debates about who was left out and who was included.

Nelson is the most egregious absence. No pitcher has made more appearances in franchise history – and he was pretty good at it, too. Nelson appeared in 432 regular-season games with a 3.26 ERA during parts of eight seasons with the M’s as one of the key relievers out of the bullpen. He was on the mound in big moments in both 1995 and again in 2001.

Félix Hernández is next on the list with 419 games pitched and the pair are the only two in franchise history to pitch in more than 400 games.

Nelson’s missing name stands out the most but several others could have been in consideration at each position. The one spot the M’s seemed to nail was designated hitter – hard to argue with Edgar Martinez and Nelson Cruz.

Catcher – Mike Zunino

Zunino had almost all the tools. He was good defensively behind the plate. And when he connected, the ball typically flew a very long way. Zunino’s 2017 season was exceptional by today’s standards for a catcher – he hit .251 with an .840 OPS, 25 homers and 25 doubles.

Another option: Kenji Johjima. Johjima started strong in his first season after coming over from Japan but faded fairly quickly.

First base – Tino Martinez

Martinez is mostly remembered in baseball circles for the six seasons he spent with the Yankees. But he only went to New York after debuting with the M’s and eventually became an All-Star selection in 1995 when he hit .293 with 31 homers and 111 RBI s inside the friendly confines of the Kingdome.

Another option: Ty France. Remember that France was an All-Star with the M’s in 2022 and batted nearly .300 the previous season.

Second base – José López

Only one second baseman with at least 10.0 bWAR not to be honored by the Mariners was López. He was an All-Star in 2006 at age 22. He hit 25 homers during the 2009 season.

Another option: Joey Cora. Cora’s overall numbers with the M’s weren’t spectacular but some of what he provided in 1995 couldn’t be measured.

Third base – Eugenio Suárez

Good vibes weren’t here for long, but they were great when he was around. He was better than expected defensively, his offensive power was a boost and he had one of the great personalities in franchise history.

Another option: Mike Blowers. Blowers had only two great seasons at the plate, but they were very solid – 1993 and 1995. Blowers’ consideration also includes his long tenure spent as the television analyst on Mariners broadcasts.

Shortstop – Omar Vizquel

It gets a little lost in his long career that Vizquel spent only five seasons with the M’s, beginning in 1989 when he debuted as a 22-year-old. The bat wasn’t there often, but the glove was exceptional. Like his Baseball Hall of Fame candidacy, off-field issues have clouded some of his career accomplishments.

Another option: Carlos Guillén. No one will forget the squeeze bunt to beat the White Sox and clinch the 2000 ALDS.

Outfielders – Randy Arozarena, Randy Winn, Leon Roberts

Yes, he can be a bit polarizing and not exactly a defensive wiz in left field, but Arozarena has been exceedingly productive in his two-plus seasons with the M’s. He’s a two-time All-Star during his tenure in Seattle and his 8.6 bWAR ranks far ahead of a couple of players that were included.

Like Arozarena, 21/2 years of pretty good play is enough to be one of the more productive outfielders in franchise history. Winn’s second season with the M’s in 2004 was his best, hitting .286 with 14 homers and 81 RBIs.

Roberts started a three-year stint in Seattle during the third season of the M’s franchise. His first year, Roberts hit .301 with an .859 OPS, hit 22 homers and drove in 92 runs.

Another option: Tom Paciorek. In 1981, Paciorek hit .326 with an .888 OPS, was an All-Star selection and finished 10th in AL MVP voting in the best of his three seasons with the M’s.

Starting pitcher – Bryce Miller

This isn’t so much a declaration of Miller’s career numbers so far, but instead the fact that the other four primary members of the M’s starting rotation the past few seasons all made the Top 50. Bryan Woo, Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo and George Kirby were all selected.

Another option: Marco Gonzales. There are a couple of possibilities, but in the context of pitching for teams that were competing for playoff berths, Gonzales is probably next on the list that should have been considered.

Closer – Edwin Díaz

Three seasons don’t define a career, but those were a pretty electric three seasons that Díaz produced. Díaz set a franchise record and led all of baseball with 57 saves in 2018 with a 1.96 ERA.

Another option: Mike Schooler. The first great closer for the M’s on some pretty bad teams.