Seattle Mariners: Junior is MLB’s G.O.A.T.
There were plenty of players who turned MLB on its ear. For example, Ruth hit more home runs than almost every team in his day and changed the game. When Ruth came to the Majors, he was different, just like Junior was different.
Griffey finished his Hall of Fame career with a slashline of .284/.370/.538/.907 including 524 doubles and 630 home runs (only seven players in MLB history have over 500 doubles and 600 dingers), and 1,836 RBI. The 1997 American League Most Valuable Player was also a 13-time All-Star, won 10 Gold Gloves and 7 Silver Slugger awards. While looking at all Junior did on the field, it’s hard to believe that he could have been even better at the plate.
How much more could he have produced at the plate if only he eased up a little on defense? Griffey couldn’t, as it wasn’t his nature to do that. He loved the game and played every inning with the biggest smile on his face. All the Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers showed how hard he played both sides of the game.
Most will probably put him in their Top Ten, but for me, there can be no other player in the top spot. For me, Ken Griffey Jr. is most definitely the G.O.A.T., plain and simple.
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Where do you rank Seattle Mariners superstar Ken Griffey Jr. among MLB’s all-time greats? Let us know in the comments section below.