SEATTLE -- The statistical superlatives for Randy Arozarena on Sunday went on and on, and the numbers told a distinct story:
He’s on a heater of historic precedent.
One day after the most epic game of his Mariners career, Arozarena crushed a leadoff homer in Seattle’s 19-2 loss to the Cubs -- sitting on a 2-2 splitter from left-hander Shota Imanaga and sending it into the visitors' bullpen at T-Mobile Park.
It was the 20th deep fly of his All-Star season, which -- coupled with his 20 stolen bases -- clinched his sixth straight 20-20 season.
If that sounds exceptional, it is.
Arozarena joined Barry Bonds (nine straight 20-20 seasons), Bobby Bonds (seven), Bobby Abreu (seven) and Willie Mays (six) as the only players with a streak that long. There is a slight caveat on Cleveland’s José Ramírez, who’s done so in every full season since 2018 but did not in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, which was limited to just 60 games for each club.
But the notable numbers on Randy didn’t stop there.
Arozarena also became just the 14th player since at least 1900 with a leadoff homer in the next team game after he hit a walk-off homer, following his heroics in Saturday’s thriller. In that one, he cleared the fence on the very first and last pitch that the Mariners saw -- and for good measure, he also robbed a homer from Chicago’s Miguel Amaya.
But we’re not done.
Making this weekend’s feats even more rare, Arozarena became just the second player with two leadoff homers and a walk-off homer in a two-game team span -- joining Chicago’s Pete Crow-Armstrong, who did so from this past Monday and Tuesday, and whom the Mariners were playing against this weekend.
Baseball, amirite?
Wilder yet is that if not for a random accident for Brendan Donovan just 24 hours earlier, Arozarena wouldn’t have hit leadoff on Saturday -- and probably not on Sunday, either.
Donovan, the Mariners’ primary leadoff man, suffered a concussion after taking a baseball off his head in the batting cages just moments before first pitch on Saturday. That moved Arozarena up from the No. 2 spot in the order; on Sunday, Donovan was placed on the 7-day concussion injured list, keeping Arozarena in the one-hole.
Maybe manager Dan Wilson will ride the hot hand for the next week as Donovan recovers, because it sure seems to be paying off.
Through all the Mariners’ ups and downs in a season that’s been mostly frustrating, Arozarena has been their most consistent hitter. And that’s continued as their offense has found more life over the past two weeks.
“When I got here in 2024, I felt right away the desire that this team has to win,” Arozarena said through an interpreter. “And since then, I’ve also seen the hunger that this team has and the hunger we have right now. And it’s something that motivates me personally.”
There are times where his approach has been very singular and self-professed -- simply, to go up trying to hit a home run on every swing.
That’s changed some of late, he said, through recent consultations with director of hitting strategy Edgar Martinez, hitting coach Kevin Seitzer and former assistant hitting coach Bobby Magallanes, who was let go last month.
“There was just some dialing in on some things that we had talked about in Spring Training, and being able to get back to that,” Arozarena said. “And [Saturday] was just kind of a step in the right direction, and I was able to go out and execute. The coaches here have been very helpful to me, kind of guiding me.
“Because there are moments in the season where you can get a lot of thoughts, and just getting with them and providing that clarity and that approach has been a big step.”
Arozarena’s walk-off on Saturday was a prime example. Against right-hander Jacob Webb, against whom Arozarena grounded out Friday on a slider, he sat breaking ball the whole time.
“That last at-bat, I was going to fully commit to that plan, and I wasn't looking to hit a home run,” Arozarena said. “I was looking more to pull the ball a little bit more in the air, not necessarily a home run to center field, but that's the way it worked out. And yes, I was truly fully committed to my plan.”
In a game of adjustments, Arozarena appears to be making them -- and still with the same powerful effect.