Mariners' Randy Arozarena selected to AL team for 2nd straight year

Ryan Divish, The Seattle Times on Jul 4, 2026

Published in Baseball

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SEATTLE — After he was told he’d be the Seattle Mariners’ lone representative in the upcoming 2026 MLB All-Star Game in a pregame team meeting Saturday morning, Randy Arozarena went out and showed why he was selected.

Arozarena went 3 for 4 on the day with a double and a grand slam, scoring three runs and driving in four in the Mariners’ 11-0 blowout of the Blue Jays.

MLB made the announcement of both All-Star rosters official in a telecast later in the afternoon.

It’s the third time he’s been selected for the midsummer classic, including the last two seasons with Seattle.

“Of course it makes you happy,” he said through interpreter Freddy Llanos. “This one that feels a little more special to me, just because I see it as a mixture of all the discipline, all the hard work, everything I’ve done, the teammates that have helped me, all the fans, especially the fans. I use them as a motor to kind of energize me out there, and I’m able to identify with them, and they’re able to identify with me.”

Arozarena, 31, has posted a .287/.376/.453 slash line with 54 runs scored, 21 doubles, a triple, nine home runs, 41 RBI, 32 walks and 19 stolen bases in 82 games this season.

In his final season before becoming a free agent, Arozarena is putting together a strong season. He will be one of the top right-handed hitters available this offseason.

He credits his recent success to a more mature approach at the plate this season. Instead of trying to pull homers, he’s trying to be a more complete hitter, using all fields. It’s something he took from his work with the Mariners’ trio of hitting gurus — Edgar Martinez, Kevin Seitzer and Bobby Magallanes.

“Being able to use all the field doesn’t just help me, but it also helps the entire team by being able to step up to the plate and know that I can kind of put the ball anywhere on the field,” he said.

Arozarena has always played like he has something to prove. He wasn’t considered a top prospect when he came up through the St. Louis Cardinals organization. Even with his success as a rookie in the postseason with the Tampa Bay Rays followed by more success as an everyday player, he wants more from the game.

“Growing up, when I was a little kid playing baseball, I didn’t think I’d ever reach the major leagues,” he said. “I don’t think I’d ever even thought of an All-Star Game. And now in my short career, six years in the league now, I’ve made three All-Star Games. It’s definitely something special. I always look at them as like, ‘OK, I deserve to be here and all the hard work I’ve put in, everything that I’ve done, these are small little award recognitions of everything that I’ve gone through.’ Just being able to get another one is so special for me.”

Arozarena loves the idea of being surrounded by his peers and the level of respect that comes with being in that game.

“To share that locker room and being surrounded by all these different stars around the league, and also having my family there, and being able to kind of enjoy the moment with family, it’s that recognition that you get as an All-Star,” he said. “And it lets me know all the hard work I’ve put in throughout the season, or even before the season started — that you’re going in the right direction and you’re doing things right.”

With several of the outfielders selected for the AL All-Star team on the injured list or battling injuries, there is a chance that Arozarena could be a starter in the game.

The Mariners are hoping that second baseman Cole Young or perhaps one of their starting pitchers, specifically Bryce Miller, are chosen if players opt to not participate.

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