DETROIT -- After Randy Arozarena scuffled at the plate throughout much of the first half, he was not surprised to be left off the American League All-Star roster.
But he also knew that people had seen what he’d done lately, and so, he waited.
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Arozarena didn’t make plans for the All-Star break like many of his teammates did. He was content, he said, to go home and relax for four days to get ready for the second half.
“I had hope that I was going to be called, even if it was last minute,” Arozarena said Friday through bench coach Manny Acta.
His intuition paid off when MLB announced he would replace his teammate, Julio Rodríguez, on the All-Star roster. Arozarena will join fellow Mariners Andrés Muñoz, Bryan Woo and AL starting catcher Cal Raleigh at the game, held Tuesday in Atlanta.
“It's been really cool to see just the whole clubhouse really erupting in those announcements and everybody feeling really happy for each other,” Seattle manager Dan Wilson said before the Mariners opened a weekend set against the Tigers at Comerica Park. “And Randy with a big smile today. I thought [it was] just great news for him, and for the team, too.”
Arozarena’s season certainly didn’t start the way anyone wanted it to, with the Mariners slugger hitting just .211 with seven home runs and 25 RBIs across his first 60 games. The tide has turned lately: Arozarena was hitting .301 in his past 30 games entering Friday, with seven home runs and 11 RBIs in his past 10.
Much of the turnaround in Arozarena’s offense, he said, was thanks to a change in preparation. He now takes fewer swings on the field and more in the batting cages. He also incorporates more tee work these days, something he said helped him focus more on mechanics.
It’s a plan Arozarena knows works: Hitting off the tee was a big part of his preparation during late 2020, when he and the Tampa Bay Rays advanced to the World Series. Arozarena hit .377 that postseason (29-for-77) with 14 RBIs in 20 games. He was named the ALCS MVP for his efforts, becoming the first rookie position player to do so. His 10 total postseason home runs set a single-season record.
This season marks Arozarena’s second All-Star selection, as he started in left field in front of the home crowd at T-Mobile Park in 2023 and finished 1-for-2 at the plate. Arozarena was the runner-up in that year’s Home Run Derby as well, and he hinted he’d passed along some insider strategy to Raleigh, who will try to outslug the field at this year’s competition.
Rodríguez officially withdrew from the All-Star festivities on Friday, opting to rest up in the coming week and recharge for the second half rather than make his third Midsummer Classic appearance.
Wilson applauded his young star’s decision.
“I think it was a very mature decision, and for him to be able to get a little rest up and take that time, I think, is smart for him,” Wilson said. “Obviously, I think we're all excited about what's ahead for this with his team … and I think we all want to be ready for that when we can.”