Seattle’s Mariner Moose ranks among MLB’s top 10 most beloved mascots, survey finds

A survey across thousands of MLB fans revealed some of the league’s most beloved mascots, with Seattle’s Mortimer “Mariner” Moose listed among the top 10.

The study analyzed 28 MLB mascots and how the league’s fans perceive both their own and other teams’ mascots based on entertainment value, humor, and engagement, according to Bovada Sportsbook.

At the top of the ranking, the Philadelphia Phillies Phillie Phanatic received a perfect score of 10, positioning the furry green mascot as the most loved in the MLB. The Phillie Phanatic had the highest rating across all three categories, including its league-high 35.2% entertainment score and 30.9% humor rating.

Filling out the rest of the top 5, the Baltimore Oriole Bird (2), Pittsburgh Pirate Parrot (3), Boston’s Wally the Green Monster (4), and New York’s Mr. & Mrs. Met (5), all stood above Seattle’s Mariner Moose in the eyes of fans across the league.

By the numbers: How the Mariner Moose fared with MLB fans

The Mariner Moose was ranked No. 6 in the league, with a final score of 4.81. Across the three categories, Seattle’s mascot received 25.10% for entertainment, 20.70% for humor, and 13.70% for engagement.

Excluding the league-wide perception of the Moose, Seattle trotted its way into the No. 5 spot with its percentage of Mariners fans who find the mascot to be entertaining, humorous, and engaging.

Nearly 54% of all Mariners fans approved of the Mariner Moose across the three categories analyzed, which was a 33.6% increase from the league-wide approval.

“Since his introduction over 30 years ago, the Mariner Moose has become one of the most recognized mascots in sports, entertaining millions of fans throughout the United States and abroad,” the Mariners stated. “In addition to entertaining Mariners fans, young and old, the Moose is proud to be a wonderful symbol of the great Northwest.”

When gauging solely how a team’s fans feel about their own mascot, the four mascots ahead of the Mariners were: Philadelphia’s Phillie Phanatic (1), St. Louis’s Fredbird (2), Minnesota’s T.C. Bear (3), and Milwaukee’s Bernie Brewer (4).

The Phillie Phanatic received approval from roughly 68% of its own fanbase, while the latter three ranged around 54%.

While there are more than a few fan-favorite mascots across the league, there is certainly one or two that baseball fans find to be the most irritating.

The survey found that Mr. and Mrs. Met, the duo representing the New York Mets, were the most annoying mascot in the league, with 5.7% of fans finding the couple to be irritating.

Other mascots with high annoyance scores included the Washington Nationals Screech (4.8%) and the Mariners’ AL West rival, Texas Rangers Captain (3.3%).

History of the Mariner Moose

Mortimer “Mariner” Moose debuted on April 13, 1990, before a sell-out crowd at the Kingdome. In search of a name for its first-ever mascot, the Mariners held a contest for fans to submit their ideas.

More than 2,500 entries were submitted from fans across the Pacific Northwest, but one entry stood above the rest. The winner: Ammon Spiller, a fifth grader from Central Elementary School in Ferndale.

“I chose the Moose because they are funny, neat, and friendly,” Spiller told the Mariners. “The Moose would show that the Mariners enjoy playing and that they still have a few tricks up their sleeves. It shows they’re having fun no matter what the situation.”

The reason why “Mortimer” is part of the Moose’s full government name remains a complete mystery, as the team has yet to address the detail included in his official MLB biography.

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