The Seattle Mariners missed out on the playoffs for the 22nd time in 23 years despite playing like one of the best teams in the league during the September.
The additions of Dan Wilson as manager and Edgar Martinez as hitting coach had immediate impact but it happened too late in the year for the Mariners to make the postseason.
Another improvement Seattle did earlier in the season was trade for 2020 American League Championship Series MVP Randy Arozarena.
Arozarena’s addition to the roster seemed to shore up the outfield for the near future. Him, Julio Rodriguez and Victor Robles got the seal of approval from Mariners President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto in an end-of-season news conference on Sept. 28.
With several infield positions still in need if improvement, it’s a good thing for the franchise that it doesn’t need to worry about upgrading the outfield.
But it raises the question of how good Arozarena actually was for the Mariners.
Arozarena made his home with his former team the Tampa Bay Rays. He was such a fan favorite that he had a section in left field (his typical position) at Tropicana Field nicknamed “Randy Land.” There were signs that Arozarena missed Tampa Bay. After he was traded, he watched one game in the stands with fans before joining Seattle on a road trip. And when the Rays were in T-Mobile Park, he reportedly visited with his former teammates in their clubhouse.
But even so, the fans quickly welcomed him and he seemed to strike a bond with his fellow outfielders Rodriguez and Robles.
Randy Arozarena by the numbers (with Seattle)
Games played: 54
Hitting stats: .231 BA, 5 HRs, 23 RBIs, 32 Runs, 14 doubles, 28 BB, 68 SOs, .356 OBP, .377 SLG, .733 OPS, 1.7 WAR
Defensive stats: 115 total chances, 0 errors, 1.000 fielding
Base running stats: 4 SBs, 3 CS, 28.1 MPH sprint speed.
Advanced hitting stats: 122 wRC+, 6.1 BRAA, 54% barrel, 68% hard-hit, 24.3% chase, 29.7% whiff
Advanced defensive stats: -6 Range (OAA), -2 Arm Value, 82.0 MPH Arm Strength
What I liked
The second Arozarena joined the Mariners, there was a noticeable improvement in the team’s energy. That eventually petered off and led to a 1-8 road trip that got nine-year manager Scott Servais fired, but teammates praised Arozarena’s energy in the clubhouse and his quick acquaintanceship with his new teammates helped build immediate synergy in the top half of the lineup.
His effort is also something that’s easy to see when watching him play. Towards the last two months of the season, Arozarena made several athletic grabs in left field that saved potential game-changing runs.
Arozarena also comes to the plate with intent. He knows what he wants to do and he knows the pitch he wants to see. Sometimes that results in less-than-ideal at-bats. But other times it results in home runs like he had against the Texas Rangers.
Arozarena’s power is something that’s never been in doubt. His speed on the base paths is also a plus. He had his fourth consecutive 20-20 season this season, the only player in MLB history to accomplish that mark in their first four full years.
Best game
Arozarena had several multi-hit games with Seattle and a walk-off single during a late-season push against the Rangers.
But it was the Mariners’ last game of the season against Arozarena’s former team that he shined the most.
On Aug. 28 against the Rays, Arozarena went 3-for-4 with a home run, an RBI and scored twice. His home run was just his second at T-Mobile Park. His first also came against his former team on Aug. 26. For the series, he went 5-for-11 with two home runs, four RBIs and scored three times.
Whether it was extra motivation with facing his former team or simply familiarity, Arozarena played arguably his best series of the year, including his time with the Rays, from Aug. 26-28.
Future prospects
Arozarena, overall, had a down year. His .219 batting average is the worst he’s had in a single season in his entire career. He started the season off slow but was picking it up in June and July before being traded to Seattle.
Being traded and then having to navigate a manager and hitting coach change would be hard to navigate for any player.
With a full offseason and spring training under Wilson, plus a full season in Seattle, Arozarena will likely return to a form similar to what was seen in Tampa Bay.
Final Grade: B-minus
B-minus: Arozarena’s impact on the team was too much to give him anything less than a B-. But while his approach at the plate led to a lot of success, it also failed several times.
Arozarena’s role as the clean-up hitter in the last several weeks of the season didn’t work the way the Mariners would have wanted. Arozarena’s numbers were significantly better without runners on-base than it was with runners on. He had a .215 average with runners on base and batted .189 with runners in scoring position, according to FanGraphs. The exact opposite you want from your clean-up hitter.
There were several instances of three-pitch strikeouts and some swing-choices that were just confusing.
But it was a season of a lot of turmoil for Arozarena. Maybe some routine will help that.
