SEATTLE -- With their postseason hopes fleeting, the Mariners made a move on Sunday that signaled towards the future: promoting top hitting prospect Michael Arroyo to the Majors.
“You never stop believing in yourself,” Arroyo said through team interpreter Freddy Llanos. “You have that self-confidence in yourself and in your game, and thank God it was able to happen toward the end of this season.”
Arroyo joined slugger Lazaro Montes -- his good buddy -- as touted position-player prospects that the Mariners have called up the past week.
And it was actually Montes who broke the news to Arroyo via a phone call late Saturday night. That led to a rapid turnaround, as Arroyo had been with Triple-A Tacoma at El Paso. He hopped on a 6 a.m. CT flight to make it to T-Mobile Park in time for the series finale vs. the A’s.
Montes even offered to pick him up from the airport.
“But I told him to stay here and rest because we have an early game and we both have to give the best we can out here in the field,” Arroyo said.
In corresponding roster moves, infielder Patrick Wisdom was optioned to Tacoma (to clear a 26-man spot) and reliever Nick Davila was transferred to the 60-day injured list (to clear a 40-man spot).
Arroyo, like Montes, would’ve needed to be added to the 40-man this offseason regardless, as both would’ve become first-time eligible for the Rule 5 Draft. Both are 21 years old and joined the Mariners via the 2022 international signing class.
“He's a kid who's very mature for his age as he's jumped levels,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said of Arroyo. “Things don't seem to affect him one way or the other. He just continues to be who he is, and that was the advice to him as he came into the clubhouse today.
“Just a great kid, who can swing the bat, and so we’re looking forward to getting him and giving him a chance, and seeing what he can do.”
Arroyo came up as a second baseman (41 games this season) but has seen more action in left field in 2026 (66 games).
“Just being versatile and being able to play infield, outfield,” Arroyo said. “I think it helped me a little bit with confidence and just being known that I can be kind of put anywhere. [Left field] wasn't unfamiliar for me. Right before, I was playing second base, and I used to play in the outfield, so that just kind of felt comfortable when the switch happened.”
Scouts have questioned the progression of his glove, as well as where he’ll fit long-term, given that the Mariners already have their second baseman of the future in Cole Young. Left fielder Randy Arozarena, meanwhile, will become a free agent this offseason.
But there’s been little doubt to Arroyo’s ability to hit, as he’s excelled at every level.
Over 114 games this season, Arroyo has slashed .283/.359/.471 (.830 OPS) with 18 homers, five triples, 23 doubles, 81 RBIs and 17 stolen bases between Tacoma and Double-A Arkansas -- where he was promoted from in early July. He’s been worth 117 wRC+ (league average is 100), with a 16.4% strikeout rate and 8.1% walk rate.
And now that he’s up, he’s expected to fill those positions -- on days like Sunday, when the Mariners opted to give Young a breather against a lefty, and potentially, to do the same for Arozarena, who’s been their best hitter.
How Arroyo’s playing time shakes out could continue to hinge on the team-wide performance, as the club entered play having fallen to a season-high 11 games under .500 (66-77). It’s certainly possible that they take more of a look to the future over these final three weeks, with both Arroyo and Montes.
“Primarily, second base and left field,” Wilson said of where Arroyo will play. “And as I've said, a great right-handed bat, and can really hit. I love the fact that he's a type of hitter that will use the whole field and has a really good sense for putting up a good at-bat.”