When going into conversations surrounding the best four players in Seattle sports history, one of the unique challenges The Sporting News faced was determining what kind of town Seattle is.
Is it a baseball city, rejuvenated by the Mariners’ 2022 Wild Card appearance, the first playoff appearance since 2001? Has it fully converted to a football town, as the Pete Carroll-era Seahawks continue to find sustained success even in the post-Russell Wilson era? Or is it a town defined by leagues with less nationwide exposure, such as the WNBA?
Ultimately, SN decided on a mix: The Mariners were represented by Ken Griffey Jr. and Ichiro Suzuki, the Seahawks had Russell Wilson among the town’s GOATs, and the Seattle Storm’s Sue Bird rounded out Seattle’s best.
All of them have compelling arguments, but they’re far from the only ones who were considered. There have been many other influential athletes in Seattle sports’ history, but ultimately, there could only be four.
Here’s a look at the also-rans, and why they were left off in favor of others this year.
Seattle’s GOAT mountain of sports runners-up
Edgar Martinez
Seattle stats:
| Seasons | Games | Batting Average | On-Base Percentage | Slugging | Home Runs | All-Star Appearances | Championships | Hall of… |
