Baseball has had a lot of stars throughout history.
The 1990s, however, belonged to Seattle Mariners outfielder Ken Griffey Jr.
He captivated young fans with his swagger and flair, and he had adults with his incredible talent to play the game.
In his prime, before injuries took a toll on his body, Griffey could do it all: he could hit for a high average, hit tape-measure home runs, and play excellent defense in center field.
He was one of the best players in the league in the early 90s, but his true prime came in 1997 and 1998.
And he was majestic.
“25 years ago today, Ken Griffey Jr. was the unanimous choice for AL MVP after setting career highs in homers (56) and RBI (147),” MLB Vault tweeted with a video of Griffey’s entire skillset.
25 years ago today, Ken Griffey Jr. was the unanimous choice for AL MVP after setting career highs in homers (56) and RBI (147). 🔥 pic.twitter.com/6chUTRNLaO
— MLB Vault (@MLBVault) November 12, 2022
One Of The Best Seasons Of His Career
In 1997, he took home MVP honors in the American League.
He hit .304/.382/.646 with 56 home runs and 147 RBI.
He also had a 154 wRC+ (100 is considered league average, so he cleared that bar with honors) and accumulated 9.0 Wins Above Replacement (WAR).
Those were the Mariners’ most successful days, with four playoff appearances between 1994 and 2001.
Griffey was behind that, at least until 1999 when he went to the Cincinnati Reds.
The reason why Griffey is so respected and universally loved is because he had legit 50-homer power without being linked to steroids use at a time in which everyone was on them.
Many (most) fellow sluggers of his time have been caught or come clean by now, but not Griffey.
He is one of the most prominent players in the history of the game, and he sure was unstoppable during his prime.
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