HIGH HEAT

Tip of the cap to Kyle Seager and history

Aug 1, 2013, 2:10 PM | Updated: 5:28 pm

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Kyle Seager’s July stats included a .396 average and a 1.100 OPS that ranked second in the American League. (AP)

By Gary Hill

Not only did Kyle Seager tie the game against the Sox with a solo homer in the eighth inning Wednesday, but he pushed his July batting average over the .400 mark. Alas, Seager would not stay above the line for long as the game wandered deep into the night. Seager would strike out in his final at-bat of the game to sink his average slightly below .400.

However, it was an incredible month for the Mariners third baseman. Seager hit .396 with six homers and 14 RBIs. He cranked five doubles and scored 21 runs along the way. His 1.100 OPS was second best in the American League for July behind Mike Trout (1.108).

To celebrate Seager’s sensational month, here is a look at the greatest offensive months in the history of the Mariners:

10. Alvin Davis, April 1984

Davis did not start the season with the Mariners and made his debut April 11 against Boston. He smashed a three-run homer off of Dennis Eckersley in his second Major League at-bat and he never looked back. He piled up seven homers and 17 RBIs despite missing half the month. He hit .369 and his 1.223 OPS is 12th best in Mariners history for one month. It was one of the best debut rookie months in baseball history and A.D. used it to propel him to a landslide victory in American League Rookie of the Year voting.

Alvin Davis, SEA: 134 points (25 first-place votes)
Mark Langston, SEA: 82 points (3)
Kirby Puckett, MIN: 23 points (0)
Tim Teufel, MIN: 5 points (0)
Mike Young, BAL: 3 points (0)
Roger Clemens, BOS: 2 points (0)

9. Ken Griffey Jr., July 1996

Griffey missed a significant portion of the month with a broken hamate bone and did not take his first at-bat until July 14 against the California Angels. He made up for lost time by belting 11 homers and driving in 30 runs in just 18 games. He went for multi-homers three times in the month and drove in three runs or more seven times. He also hit a superb .361 for the month. Think about the numbers he would have accumulated had he been healthy and played a full month.

8. Jay Buhner, September/October 1995

Buhner cranked 14 homers and drove in 33 runs during the close of 1995. The home-run total stands as the second most in a month in Mariners history and the RBI tally is tied for the lead. At one point Buhner launched bombs in five straight games. He homered in seven of nine games during one stretch and the Mariners went 7-2 during that time. The Mariners would eventually tie the Angels for the division and Buhner’s massive production was a big reason why.

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Ken Griffey Jr. started his MVP season in 1997 with a bang, hitting .340 with 13 home runs and 30 RBIs in April. (AP)

7. Ken Griffey Jr., March/April 1997

Griffey started the year in style with a .340/.420/.786 slash line. He smashed 13 homers and drove in 30 runs for the month. He scored 25 times and took 12 free passes. When the fifth game of the season was complete he had already hit five homers. On the final day of the month the Mariners boasted a 16-11 record and held a half-game lead over the Rangers for first place in the AL West.

6. Edgar Martinez, June 1995

Edgar hit an incredible .402 while driving in 32 runs. He clubbed eight homers and nine doubles and also walked 28 times. He lived on base and his .537 on-base percentage proves it. Griffey missed the entire month of June that season, but Edgar more than picked up the slack and set up the late-season heroics for the Mariners.

5. Ichiro, August 2004

Ichiro set a Mariners record by pounding out an eye-popping 56 hits in a month. He also secured a Mariners record with his .463 batting average. In 27 games he went 56 for 121. He also mixed in four homers, three doubles, three triples and four stolen bases. He began August hitting .346 and ended it at .371. He would finish the season at .372, which won him his second batting title.

4. Ken Griffey Jr., May 1994

Griffey smashed a club-record 15 homers for the month. He drove in 25 runs and walked 16 times. His 1.244 OPS is sixth in Mariners history in month for players with at least 75 at-bats. He also hit .333. Griffey hit 40 homers for the season, which led the American League, despite only playing in 111 games due to the strike.

3. Alex Rodriguez, August 1996

A-Rod surged towards the 1996 batting title with a .435 month. He whacked nine homers and 11 doubles. He drove in 28 runs and scored 30 on his own. He managed 11 walks while compiling a total of 54 hits. His slash line was a silly .435/.474/.758.

2. Edgar Martinez, May 2000

This was an absolutely beautiful month of hitting. Edgar tallied at least one hit in all but two games for the entire month. He hit .441 while crushing 10 homers. He launched eight doubles and found time to walk 15 times. His slash line of .441/.508/.814 would be difficult to replicate in a video game. His 1.322 OPS for the month is the second best in Mariners history. He drove in 32 runs and scored 24 of his own. Edgar was a monster in 2000, hitting .324 with 37 home runs, 145 RBIs, 31 doubles and 96 walks. He was a big part of the foundation for an offense that reached the ALCS.

1. Edgar Martinez, August 1995

The suggestion is to frame these numbers and hang them on the wall. They should be looked at often. Edgar steamrolled pitching to the tune of .398/.560/.786 for the month. Edgar drew an amazing 31 bases on balls and hit nine homers. He ripped 11 doubles and scored 31 runs. His 1.345 OPS is the best an M’s player has ever produced in a month with at least 75 at-bats. It can be argued that August 1995 was the most important month in franchise history and Edgar rose the occasion and help lead the Mariners’ fierce comeback. He reached bases an incredible 77 times in just 29 games. He drove in more than a run a game and scored more than a run a game. Players have only topped a 1.300 OPS for a month 148 times since 1916. His OPS for the month is 43rd since 1916 for players with at least 120 plate appearances. He truly put together one of the best offensive months in the history of the game.

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Tip of the cap to Kyle Seager and history