THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Arozarena deserved it, Julio or no Julio

OK, it was an accident.

Still.

The correct number of Mariners will be present at tonight’s All-Star Game in Atlanta.

Wait, there’s more. 

I’d like to suggest that it won’t just be the proper number of Seattle participants who trot out to the foul line for the traditional pregame introductions.

Less than a week ago, that wouldn’t have been true.

At that point, Julio Rodriguez was in the group, having been voted by his fellow players to join teammates Cal Raleigh, Bryan Woo and Andres Munoz for the celebrations at Truist Park.

Julio, though, announced that he was declining the invitation for some very human reasons, including the need for “rest and recuperation.”

Zooming forward three days, you wonder how much time on the couch Julio actually needs — since he’s homered in three straight games leading up to the break.

No matter.

With Julio sitting out what would have been his third All-Star Game (in four years), his left field neighbor Randy Arozarena was named as his replacement.

There’s a slice of irony in the change, since the two pals have almost identical offensive numbers so far this season.

I’M NOT exaggerating.

Here are some of the obvious stats:

Rodriguez: bWAR 3.9, BA .252, HR 14, RBI 50, SB 17, OPS .731, OPS+ 113.

Arozarena: bWAR 3.7, BA .251, HR 17, RBI 48, SB 16, OPS .820, OPS+ 139.

You can see that Randy’s one advantage is that gap in OPS (on base plus slugging). 

Julio has a puny on-base percentage of .313, which tells you there are quite a few strikeouts, along with weak contact.

Arozarena’s on-base number is .357, which is excellent for a middle-of-the-order power guy.

Notice, however, that Julio has a slightly higher bWAR (wins against replacement, accounting done by Baseball Reference).

He gets a big boost for his exploits in center field, where he’s currently third across MLB in runs saved.

The point, though, is that even with Julio’s explosion over this past weekend in Detroit — and Raleigh’s relentless bombs — it’s been Arozarena who has delivered enough punch to help keep the Mariners (51-45) alive in the third wild-card spot.

Over the past two weeks, Randy has hit .321 with nine home runs and a whopping OPS of 1.192 — the highest in the major leagues during that span.

Bottom line: Arozarena won’t be out of place among the American League All-Stars, and if history is any guide, he might add some pyrotechnics to the evening.

This is a young man who made it from Cuba to Mexico in a small, leaky boat — barely finding freedom instead of a watery end at age 20.

In other words, Randy Arozarena is not going to panic in ANY baseball game.

IN FACT, his resume in the biggest games is spectacular.

Volcanic, even.

Reaching the majors in the middle of the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Arozarena was a record-breaking postseason star before he was even eligible to be called a rookie.

He had played just 23 games for Tampa Bay in the regular season (and 19 the year before that with the Cardinals) when, without much warning, he just went OFF in the 2020 postseason.

Randy rocked a record 10 playoff homers that year, and he was the electrical charge that that shot the Rays to the World Series.

This sort of postseason chaos is Randy Arozarena’s DNA.

In 2021, he became the only player in MLB history to hit a home run and steal home in the same playoff game.

He was named Rookie of the Year that season, his first of four straight with at least 20 homers and 20 steals (that should become five straight later this year).

He DOES run with some abandon, having led the AL in caught stealing in 2020 and ’21.

Credit Randy for getting smarter, though, since he’s stolen those 16 bags this season and only been caught twice.

You might want to catch his All-Star act tonight in Atlanta.

In his first All-Star event (2023), he finished second to Vlad Guerrero Jr. in the Home Run Derby.

Things just happen with Randy when the lights are brightest.

I promise you.

Even home on his sofa, Julio won’t miss a pitch.

Email: [email protected]

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press three times each week, normally Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”