Randy Arozarena is becoming the pest of the AL West, and taking the rest of the lineup with him
Staggering into an important homestand against the AL West with a 3-7 record, the Mariners needed to right the ship quickly or risk being buried in the cellar of the division early in the season. After clawing a win from Houston in the first game of the series before dropping a terrible extra-inning game where the Mariners couldn’t come up with a clutch hit despite a wealth of opportunities, the team faced yet another losing series, trailing 5-0 in the eighth inning. You probably know what happened next, but if not, here’s John’s recap to refresh your memory.
Like Mrs. Dalloway and her flowers, Randy said he’d score the runs himself, and did so in two diametrically opposed but no less impressive ways: first, by dropping the barrel on a Caleb Okert fastball that fell right into his happy zone for a majestic grand slam; and second, by exercising patience in exactly the kind of backyard baseball scenario kids dream about: bottom of the ninth, tied game, bases loaded, two outs, 3-2 count. Bryan Abreu tried to tempt Randy into expanding the zone, which he did once and not again, spitting on the same pitch for ball three and then declining to chase up for the walkoff walk. One is a feat of physical strength; the other, a feat of mental strength. Both had repercussions far beyond the one game, as the Mariners then went on to sweep the Rangers.
“I think it really starts with that big Randy game, that was awesome. It really got us going, just riding the momentum,” said Logan Gilbert, speaking after Sunday’s game. “It’s weird, how that works in such a long season, but when you get a game like that, you just take it and run with it.”
For a team that’s still mourning the loss of Victor Robles and his many ways of getting on base, Arozarena has taken up that mantle. He currently ranks 13th in MLB at pitches seen per plate appearance (J.P. Crawford ranks sixth, best in the AL!). He’s currently riding an on-base streak of 12 games, collecting hits but also taking his walks.
“He has had some really, really good at-bats for us and been patient,” said Dan Wilson after Sunday’s game, after Arozarena worked another bases-loaded walk, his second of the homestand, to give the Mariners a little more breathing room in a 3-1 win. “It seems like even when he gets behind, he’s able to really lay off the tougher pitches and look for something in the zone…He’s able to get his pitch, and when he gets it, he’s able to really find the barrel to it. He’s got an exceptional eye at the plate.”
In his bases-loaded walk on Sunday, Arozarena battled on some tough splitters at the bottom of the zone, swinging over one but showing Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi he was timing them up. Eovaldi tried to get Arozarena to expand up with a couple of fastballs, but Randy declined to chase, leading to Eovaldi going in for the bases-loaded walk, and an end to Eovaldi’s day.
If Arozarena is forced to take a walk rather than get a chance to hit, he’s determined to make a pitcher pay for their offense. While not the same base-stealing threat as as the super-speedster Robles, Randy is similarly able to be a fly buzzing in the pitcher’s ear, taking large leads at first and drawing throws, disrupting rhythm. He wore out Rangers starter, rookie Kumar Rocker, in the third inning of Saturday’s game, first drawing a hit by pitch/walk on six pitches, refusing to chase, and then making a pest of himself at first base, drawing the maximum allowable number of throws over but stealing second anyway; meanwhile, Luke Raley was the benefit of that pressure, earning a seven-pitch walk.
“That kind of pressure, that kind of attention that he draws over at first base allows that hitter to maybe see a mistake or two,” said Wilson. “Randy can affect the game in a lot of different ways.”
Julio Rodríguez—who has also been working his walks this season, already walking more in March/April than in those months last year—has appreciated watching his mercurial, yet single-minded, teammate.
“You never know when he’s going to swing, or if he’s not, but he’s definitely going to have a good at-bat every time out there. He always goes to the plate with a plan.”
So far this season, the Mariners have had 63 plate appearances with two outs and runners in scoring position, and while they’ve worked 10 walks in those opportunities, they’re slashing a mere .189/.318/.321. Arozarena has had seven of those plate appearances, or roughly 11%, but just four at-bats, as three of those walks belong to him; his slash line in those situations is a hilarious .500/.714/1.500. Small sample size theater aside, it’s clear that the hits will come and go; what endures is plate discipline, and Arozarena consistently puts himself—and the team—into favorable situations to make something good happen.
While Jorge Polanco has been the team’s steadiest offensive presence, Arozarena’s performance has so far been the most impactful predictor of the team’s success. In losses, Arozarena has an OPS of .587; in wins, .984. If Randy gets on base, whether by hit or by walk, good things follow.
That’s something Arozarena seems to realize and even embrace, according to Julio.
“Randy is always looking to light things up, every time he steps on the field. He’s so electric. He’s a baseball genius.
“He definitely has a lot of different skills on the baseball field. He loves the game, he loves to compete, he loves to win, and every time he steps on the field, you know that he’s going to be giving his best.”