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Data via FanGraphs, as of 09/16/2025

Randy Arozarena and the Quest for 30-30-30

Originally posted on Just Baseball | By Leo Morgenstern | Last updated Sep 16, 2025 7:39 PM ET

Hit. Get hit. Run.

No, I’m not laying out the options for what you can do if you piss off an ill-tempered Red Sox fan in a bar. I’m talking about the ways that Randy Arozarena is making history this season.

You probably already know the Seattle Mariners left fielder as one of the most consistent 20-20 threats in the game. Arozarena and José Ramírez are the only MLB players to have hit at least 20 home runs and stolen at least 20 bases in each of the past five seasons.

You might also know Arozarena as a hit-by-pitch magnet. Since his first full season in 2021, his 91 HBP rank second behind only Ty France (116).

All told, Arozarena has been hit by 97 pitches in his MLB career, which means he is just three away from becoming the fourth active player with 100 career home runs, stolen bases, and HBP.

Keep in mind, Arozarena only ranks 109th among active players in plate appearances. So, of the 108 active players who have stepped to the plate more often than Arozarena, only two have more homers, steals, and HBP: Mike Trout and Starling Marte. (Freddie Freeman is the other active player in the 100-100-100 club, but he has fewer career steals than Arozarena.)

All that to say, it’s not very common for a player to be as talented as Arozarena is in all three areas.

A 20-20 season is a notable achievement because it requires both power and baserunning acumen, two skills that don’t often go hand in hand. Indeed, there is a negative relationship between home runs and stolen bases.

The graph below shows every individual player season (min. 500 PA) since 2015. Notice how the red trend line slopes downward? It’s not a very strong correlation, but it’s there: Players who hit more home runs tend to steal fewer bases, and vice versa.

The ability to rack up hit-by-pitches is another distinct skill. It’s not at odds with power or speed (the way power and speed can sometimes be at odds with one another), but take a look at the graphs below, and you’ll see that the correlations between HBP and home runs and HBP and stolen bases are negligible.

Data via FanGraphs, as of 09/16/2025

So, if 20-20 seasons are impressive because they represent a unique blend of skills, I posit that 20-20-20 seasons – with the third 20 representing HBP – should be an even more celebrated achievement.

The History of the 20-20-20 Season

The first player on record to steal at least 10 bases, hit at least 10 home runs, and get hit by at least 10 pitches in a season was John Reilly of the Cincinnati Reds in 1887. The first player to reach 15 in all three categories was Buck Freeman of the Washington Senators in 1899.

Yet, it wasn’t until Craig Biggio swatted 22 long balls, swiped 33 bags, and wore 22 pitches in 1995 that MLB had its first recorded 20-20-20 campaign. That’s more than 100 years of professional baseball without such a season.

In the 30 years since, six individual players have gone 20-20-20: Biggio (three times), Arozarena (twice), Brady Anderson (twice), Alex Rodriguez, Chase Utley, and Shin-Soo Choo.

We’re talking about a highly unusual accomplishment. And that’s not all.

Biggio never reached 25-25-25. Neither did Anderson, A-Rod, Utley, or Choo.

No, it wasn’t until 2025 that Randy Arozarena became the first player in recorded MLB history with at least 25 homers, steals, and HBP in the same season.

Even better? He’s not finished yet.

Entering play on Tuesday, September 16, Arozarena is sitting on 28 stolen bases, 27 home runs, and 26 HBP. The Mariners have 12 games left to play. That’s more than enough time for two more steals, three more home runs, and four more plunkings.

Is it likely that Arozarena gets to 30 in all three categories? Not right now. Presuming he plays all 12 remaining games, he’s on pace for just over 30 steals, just under 30 home runs, and only 28 hit-by-pitches. Still, he’s certainly close enough for me to spend the next two weeks watching and rooting for him to become the very first member of MLB’s 30-30-30 club.

Randy Arozarena knows how to hit, how to get hit, and how to run. It’s all part of his unique brand of baseball, and it’s helping him carve out his own unique place in MLB history.

This article first appeared on Just Baseball and was syndicated with permission.

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