28. Mike Moore

The Seattle Mariners, in their 1981 amateur draft, selected Mike Moore from Oral Roberts with the top overall pick, as they were a young franchise in need of a reliable workhorse. Moore, a powerful right-hander, was fast-tracked to the majors, joining the starting rotation the following summer. His debut at the Kingdome was intense, as he played for a struggling team and experienced three losing seasons with records of 7–14, 6–8, and 7–17, while trying to keep his ERA below 4.70. Despite these tough stats, his strong arm and high strikeout talent convinced the front office to focus on his long-term growth.

That patience paid off brilliantly during Moore’s remarkable 1985 season, a summer when he finally mastered his control and delivered the peak of his Pacific Northwest career. With a powerful, deceptive fastball, he achieved a 17–10 record and lowered his ERA to an impressive 3.46 across 247 innings. Demonstrating classic durability, he completed 14 games and carried a thin pitching staff on his broad shoulders, finishing tenth in the American League Cy Young Award voting and ranking sixth among AL pitchers with a 6.3 bWAR.

While surface losses returned the following summer, Moore’s significant contribution to the team became evident during the 1986 season. He started 37 games, pitching a remarkable 266 innings and facing a league-high 1,145 batters in the American League. Despite an 11–13 record and a 4.30 ERA, his skill in managing high-pressure situations and limiting damage in a hitter-friendly park earned him an impressive 4.6 bWAR, highlighting his value beyond win-loss statistics.

During his time in Seattle, Moore primarily relied on a fast, high-velocity pitch to keep opposing lineups unbalanced. He often ranked near the top of the league in strikeouts, making the top ten in the American League three times as a Mariner. The peak of this power pitching style came in his final summer with the team in 1988, when he achieved a personal best of 182 strikeouts in 228⅔ innings, establishing himself as one of the division’s most respected power pitchers before entering free agency.

After his contract expired following the 1988 season, Moore decided to sign with the dominant Oakland Athletics. There, he quickly reached the peak of his career. He gained national fame during an outstanding 1989 season, which saw him earn his first All-Star selection, win 19 games, and start two games in the Fall Classic, contributing to Oakland's World Series sweep.

Moore closed out his seven-year stretch in Seattle with a deceptive 66–96 record, but his legacy is truly defined by his 225 starts, 72 complete games, and 937 strikeouts.