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If the season were to end today, the Seattle Mariners would be sitting comfortably in an AL Wild Card spot. They've gone 7-3 over their past 10 games, including a huge series victory over their main rival for the AL West crown, the Houston Astros, and their acquisition from last year's trade deadline, Randy Arozarena, has been playing a huge part in Seattle's success.
On Thursday, the Mariners took a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels to pull one game closer of the Astros, who lost to the Athletics. And it was Arozarena who once again played a starring role. The hard-hitting outfielder, on a 3-1 count, pummeled an 86-mph slider from Yusei Kikuchi, hammering the ball just above the left-field wall. This home run broke a 1-1 deadlock and proved to be the true game-changing moment.
This dinger from Arozarena was his ninth in the calendar month of July. This feat puts him in the company of Mariners legend Ken Griffey Jr., who, according to Francys Romero of Beisbol FR, is joined by Arozarena as two of the only three players to mash that many homers in the month of July for the Mariners (with Jay Buhner accomplishing the feat alongside Griffey back in 1996).
On the month of July, Arozarena has been red-hot at the plate for the Mariners. He's slashing .264/.325/.681 since the first of July with nine home runs and 14 runs batted in. He's gotten his power swing right back on track, putting him now on 19 home runs and 51 RBIs on the season with an overall slash line of .248/.352/.467.
It may have taken a bit of time, but Arozarena is now doing his thing for a Mariners franchise that believed in him. Now, Seattle will be hoping Josh Naylor also picks it up in a Mariners uniform.
Mariners' Randy Arozarena proves 2024 down season was a fluke
In 2024, Arozarena struggled mightily. There were stretches where he struggled to hit above the Mendoza line, and his overall production at the plate dipped considerably. But the Mariners still bought on him prior to last year's trade deadline, and the move is now paying off.
The peripherals for Arozarena continue to trend the wrong way, as his walk and strikeout rates have gotten progressively worse from 2023. But if he keeps on putting home runs on the board, then the Mariners will still be very pleased with their 2024 acquisition. Arozarena still has a week to keep adding to his tally in what has already been a historic July.
