Legend:
In 2001 the Seattle Mariners tied the major league record with 116 wins. Despite losing the the Yankees in the ALCS, this team was truly stacked, as it will go down as one of the best teams ever. What made the M’s so good in 2001 was their hitting, as Ichiro (AL ROTY and MVP) lead the charge to a team batting average of .288. The lineup consisted of contact, power, and speed, as they stole 174 bags along with hitting 169 homers. The Mariners had 5 all-stars in that lineup, 4 of whom started the in the all-star game: 1B John Olerud (.320 batting average with 21 homers, 95 RBI’s), 2B Bret Boone (37 homers, 141 RBI’s, 206 hits), CF Mike Cameron (25 homers, 110 RBI’s, stole 30 bags), RF Ichiro Suzuki, and DH Edgar Martinez (40 doubles, slugged .543). As far as the pitching went, it was pretty solid, with the top 4 pitchers in the rotation winning 18, 15, 20, and 17, while their bullpen consisted of top relievers like Arthur Rhodes, Jeff Nelson, and Ryan Franklin. This team put on a show for the entirety of the 2001 season, as they won the AL West by 14 games over the 102-win Athletic team.
