Seattle Mariners' Randy Arozarena Has Shown Encouraging Development in Recent Stretch

This homestand, two of Arozarena's homers this have been to center or left-center field, two have been to left field and the aforementioned one to right field.

Arozarena's power to the pull side (left field) has been well-documented. 26 of his 33 home runs the last two seasons have been pulled.

This current homestand has been the best and most-balanced display of power Seattle's seen from Arozarena since the club acquired him from the Tampa Bay Rays on July 26, 2024.

"It's big," Mariners manager Dan Wilson said after the team's win Friday. "I think it proves to him that he can wait on it and drive it anywhere and he can drive it out of any part of the ball park. I think, as a hitter, that only makes you better. And we have seen it this homestand. Getting a pitch up in the zone, out away from him and instead of trying to do too much, just driving it that way and picking up the homer down the line."

Arozarena has often been slotted as the club's cleanup hitter, and the recent power surge has been a major boost to a middle of the lineup that has often struggled to find consistency.

Arozarena is a perennial 20-20 (20 homers, 20 steals) player and he's on pace to match that mark again this season. Arozarena has scored 45 runs in 86 games, and he has hit 20 doubles and one triple . He's also got 41 RBIs and 15 steals to go with his 13 homers. He's slashed .252/.359/.443 with an .802 OPS.

If he keeps on his current trajectory, his on-base percentage would be a career-high across a full year. He exceeded that mark in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season and his debut season with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2019 where he played 19 games.

If Arozarena does continue to consistently hit for power and get on base at the rate he has been, and Julio Rodriguez has his second-half surge that's become a pattern over his previous three seasons, Seattle will could have potentially one of the most dangerous one-through-four's in the American League with J.P. Crawford leading off, Rodriguez at No. 2, Cal Raleigh at No. 3 and Arozarena at cleanup.

The Mariners are 46-42 and will host the Pirates again on Saturday at 7:10 p.m. PT.