Cuban Randy Arozarena was acquired by the Mariners at the Major League Baseball trade deadline and since his arrival he has made his impact felt, helping to raise the offensive production of the Seattle team, whom as of Tuesday he maintains with a balance in favor of 26 runs scored in relation to those allowed since he arrived in the American League West Division.
With the versatility of his game, Arozarena has been in charge of providing dynamism to the Mariners’ offense (63-57), which collectively is the worst in the MLB with an average of .217, so his contribution has been a relevant aspect to maintain the pace that the Houston Astros (64-55) have imposed on them in the race for the top of the West.
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Prior to the arrival of the star Cuban outfielder on July 27, the Mariners held a 55-51 win-loss record, while going through a negative stretch, with a balance of 3-7 in their previous 10 games, which led them to lose the first place to the Astros, but since then they have a 9-6 record in the 15 games in which Arozarena has taken the field with them.
Arozarena has taken it upon himself to back up the words of manager Scott Servais, who, after acquiring the Cuban from the Rays, defined him as “a proven producer of runs” and as “a dynamic player.” It is precisely this last part that the star outfielder and right-handed hitter has brought to the field to be productive for the Mariners.
During this time, Arozarena has combined 16 hits and 11 walks and has been hit twice, which has allowed him to reach the bases in 14 of those 15 games, accumulating an on-base percentage of .446.
This permanence on the paths, occupying the second position in the offensive order, has caused Arozarena to advance to the register on 14 occasions.
With a batting average of .308 (52-16), Arozarena has five doubles and a home run among his hits, which served to account for five RBIs.
Since Arozarena joined Servais’ lineup, the Mariners have scored 73 runs, with the Cuban contributing 19 runs directly, whether he scored or drove in a run.
This performance has led the Mariners to average 4.8 runs scored per game, which combined with the best-earned run percentage allowed among all MLB teams (3.48), has allowed them to improve their run differential in favor of 22 (406-384) to 26 (478-452), with the addition and contribution of the member of the Mexican team in the last World Baseball Classic.
With the arrival of Arozarena, who has remained error-free in left field in 130 innings of action, the Mariners are 2-3 on the road and 7-3 at home at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.
Arozarena, who is batting .224 overall with 16 homers, 42 RBIs, and 59 runs scored, has been the driving force for Seattle while waiting for the contributions of Dominican Julio Rodriguez, who returned to play last Sunday after his stay on the injured list, and JP Crawford, who is still recovering from an injury, to complement an attacking forward with versatility and power, which will lead the Mariners to the postseason.
