Opposing View: What Randy Arozarena brings to the Mariners

Jul 27, 2024, 1:47 PM

Randy Arozarena celebrates after hitting a double for the Tampa Bay Rays during a 2024 game. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

(Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

BY ZAC HERETH

Seattle Sports

Fans in the Pacific Northwest are about to see Randy Arozarena don a Seattle Mariners uniform for the first time.

Drayer: 6 observations on Seattle Mariners’ trade for Randy Arozarena

After being traded from Tampa Bay to Seattle on Thursday night, Arozarena joined the M’s for the first time Saturday ahead of the second matchup in their three-game set in Chicago against the White Sox. He was slated to bat second and play in left field.

The addition of Arozarena brings a much-needed impact bat to the corner outfield for Seattle, which has struggled mightily on offense throughout the season.

Arozarena is certainly a notable name in MLB, but playing across the country for the small-market Rays lessened the chances fans in the Pacific Northwest had much of a chance to watch the slugging left fielder.

What exactly are the Mariners getting with the 29 year old? Sports director Evan Closky of 10 Tampa Bay had plenty to share when he joined Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob on Friday.

One of baseball’s hottest hitters

Arozarena’s overall 2024 numbers aren’t necessarily inspiring. He’s hitting just .211 with an OPS+ at 104, which indicates more of a league-average bat than an impactful one. However, the first four moths of his season have truly been a tale of two halves.

Since June 1, Arozarena has a 161 OPS+ that ranks 21st among qualified hitters. He’s slashing .284/.397./.507 with 19 extra-base hits, including seven home runs, during that span. Those are numbers the Mariners offense will surely welcome.

“That’s one of the best players in Major League Baseball at the plate,” Closky said. “So they’re getting a stud.”

Arozarena is no stranger to putting up blistering stretches at the plate. That ability was on full display during the 2020 playoffs when he broke on to the scene as an unlikely playoff star. He was named ALCS MVP and posted eye-popping numbers with a .337 batting average, 1.273 OPS and an MLB-record 10 home runs in 20 games.

Among players with at least 100 plate appearances in the postseason, Arozarena ranks third with a 1.104 OPS, trailing only Hall of Famers Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth.

He also hit .450 with an 1.507 OPS and seven extra-base hits in six games while playing for Mexico at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

“This guy rises to the occasion,” Closky said. “… He loves the bigger stage.”

The reason for early struggles

There’s many frustrating facets of the modern era of baseball for fans, especially those of an older generation. One of those is the ever-increasing trend of players selling out to pull the ball rather than attempt to the spray the ball to all fields.

Arozarena attempted to buck the trend early this season with a refined approach focused on using the entire field. However, it backfired immensely during a dreadful start to 2024.

Arozarena entered May hitting just .143 and was still sitting at a meager .158 entering June, but he’s returned to the formula that helped him earn AL Rookie of the Year in 2021 and an All-Star nod in 2023 since. He’s increased his pull rate from 40.5% through May to 50.4% since June 1. That has resulted in his batting average on balls in play (BABIP) rising from .186 to .324. He’s also hitting more line drives (10.9% to 17.5%).

“Don’t look at his year-long stats because, Seattle, you’re not going to have to deal with what the Rays had to deal with in April and May, where he was uncharacteristically awful,” Closky said.

With improvements at the plate in the past two months, Arozarena is on pace for his fourth consecutive season with at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases.

A man of the people

From the “King’s Court” to the “J-Rod Squad,” Mariners fans are plenty familiar with special sections dedicated to charismatic players. Arozarena had one of his own with the “Randy Land” section in left field on Friday nights at Tampa Bay’s Tropicana Field.

“He made every fan here in the Tampa area fall in love with him, especially when you consider kind of the antics he does on the field,” Closky said. “He’s always engaging with the fans. Even when he’s running out to his position, he usually tucks away like four or five balls in his back pocket and he’ll start throwing them out to fans before play begins.”

Arozarena had a day in between when he was traded Thursday night and when he reported to the Mariners on Saturday. He decided to spend part of his Friday night with the fans, as he as his family sat in the stands in left field during Tampa’s game against Cincinnati.

Randy Arozarena is in attendance at The Trop tonight as a fan 🥹🫶

(via @BallyRays)pic.twitter.com/GJ0Wn7hS7P

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 26, 2024

“He was running baseball camps also in the offseason or on off days as well during the regular season,” Closky said. “He was growing more a part of this community as he was getting more comfortable here.”

Listen to the full conversation with Evan Closky at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Wyman and Bob weekdays from 2-6 p.m.