Randy Arozarena Delivers Walk-Off Blast for Rays — Video, Stats & What It Means for the Playoff Race

Seattle Mariners left fielder Randy Arozarena is surging at exactly the right time, and the rest of baseball is taking notice. Three days after Major League Baseball tapped the 30-year-old to replace teammate Julio Rodríguez on the American League roster for the 2025 All-Star Game, Arozarena continued his midsummer tear with a four-run, two-hit performance—including a two-run blast—in Seattle’s 15-7 rout of the Detroit Tigers on Saturday. The late All-Star call-up caps a remarkable turnaround for Arozarena, who was batting .211 through his first 60 games but has hit .301 with seven homers over his last 30 contests. His season WAR has climbed to 3.2, fourth among AL outfielders, and his 133 OPS+ now ranks fifth at the position. Manager Dan Wilson said the clubhouse “erupted” when the selection became official, noting that Arozarena’s revamped routine—more cage work, fewer on-field swings, added tee sessions—mirrors the preparation that fueled his record-setting 2020 postseason. “He looks locked in, and the numbers prove it,” Wilson said. Beyond the statistics, Arozarena’s energy has galvanized a Seattle lineup that has scored 27 runs in two games at Comerica Park. In Friday’s opener, pitchers Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize—both Detroit All-Stars—were chased early, thanks in part to Arozarena’s on-base pressure and aggressive baserunning. The Cuban-Mexican slugger now heads to Atlanta for his second career Midsummer Classic, joining fellow Mariners Cal Raleigh, Andrés Muñoz and Bryan Woo. Arozarena hinted he might reprise the dramatic flair he showed as 2023 Home Run Derby runner-up, giving fans reason to expect another viral celebration. Fantasy managers and sports-betting markets have responded quickly; Arozarena’s odds to lead the AL in second-half homers shortened from 40-1 to 18-1 over the weekend, while his roster share in major fantasy platforms jumped more than 12 percent. Seattle, meanwhile, sits 2½ games behind Houston in the AL West. If Arozarena’s bat stays hot, the Mariners could make their first back-to-back playoff appearances since the club’s 1995–2001 run—and Arozarena could add another chapter to a career already defined by clutch summer heroics.