Who is Rob Refsnyder? A close look at Mariners’ new OF/1B

The Seattle Mariners signed 34-year-old outfielder/first baseman Rob Refsnyder to a one-year contract on Monday, which adds some veteran depth and a proven right-handed platoon bat to their bench.

Mariners sign free agent OF/1B Rob Refsnyder to 1-year deal

Who is Refsnyder? Here’s a closer look.

The bio

Refsnyder has played with six teams over his 10-year MLB career. A 2012 fifth-round draft pick by the New York Yankees, he made his MLB debut in 2015 and bounced around to five different teams over his first six seasons, appearing in a combined 232 games with the Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins.

In 2022, Refsnyder eventually found a home in Boston, where he primarily served as a fourth outfielder. He totaled a 3.6 bWAR over his four seasons with the Red Sox, while slashing .276/.364/.440 with 27 home runs, an .804 OPS and a 123 OPS+ in 309 games. He posted at least a 130 OPS+ in three of his past four seasons.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Refsnyder went to high school in Laguna Hills, Calif., and was a star at the University of Arizona. In 2012, he led Arizona to the national title and was named the College World Series’ Most Outstanding Player. He’s set to become the fourth Korean-born player in Mariners history, joining Shin-Soo Choo (2005-06), Cha-Seung Baek (2007) and Dae-ho Lee (2016).

A strong platoon bat

Refsnyder has carved out a role as an excellent platoon bat against left-handed pitching.

Since the start of 2022, he has a .312/.407/.516 slash line for a .924 OPS in 501 plate appearances against southpaws. He ranks third among all MLB hitters in on-base percentage against lefties over that span (min. 400 plate appearances), trailing only Aaron Judge and Paul Goldschmidt. He also ranks sixth in batting average, 16th in slugging percentage and seventh in OPS against lefties over the past four seasons.

Overall, Refsnyder posted a 52.3% hard-hit rate, a 12.3% barrel rate and a 92 mph average exit velocity in 2025 – all of which were well above average, according to Baseball Savant. However, his 25.8% strikeout rate this past season was also higher than average.

Versatility off the bench

Refsnyder has played six different positions over his MLB career, but most of his action has come at the two corner outfield spots, especially in recent years. He hasn’t played center field since 2023 and hasn’t played the infield since 2020, when he made four appearances at first base.

Refsnyder has ranked in the 80th percentile or better in arm strength each of the past five seasons, according to Baseball Savant. But his sprint speed is below average and he’s not much of a base-stealing threat, with just 22 career steals.

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