ANALYSIS: Seattle Mariners Trio Could be Best Outfield Group in Years
The Seattle Mariners 2025 outfield has the potential to be one of the best units the team has put together in years.
The Mariners opened 2024 with franchise star Julio Rodriguez at center field. Next to him was Mitch Haniger (right field) and Dominic Canzone (left field). That unit didn't produce the way the team would have hoped.
Seattle signed outfielder and former top-five prospect Victor Robles on June 4 after he was released by the Washington Nationals on June 1. He was slotted in right field after filling in for Rodriguez while he was on the injured list.
Randy Arozarena was acquired by the Mariners in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays on June 29. He was immediately the club's starting left fielder.
Rodriguez had the worst season of his career (by his standards) in 2024. He hit .273 with 20 home runs, 68 RBIs and 24 steals. He missed three weeks and was held out of the outfield for a month with a right ankle sprain.
Arozarena also had the worst season of his career. With Seattle, he hit .231 in 54 games with five homers and 23 RBIs. Throughout the entire year, he hit .219 with 20 homers and 60 RBIs in 154 games.
Randy Arozarena has his first bomb as a Mariner! pic.twitter.com/1SiWzGSNck
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 30, 2024
Robles hit .328 with the Mariners with four homers, 26 RBIs and 30 steals. He only played 77 games with the team and 94 games the entire season.
And all three players seem prime for solid seasons in 2025.
Rodriguez has had eight of his 12 RBIs in Cactus League play in his last five games. Four of them came off a grand slam against the Kansas City Royals on March 12.
🚨Julio Rodríguez grand slam 🚨
— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) March 12, 2025
Exit velo: 107.6 mph
Launch angle: 23°
Distance: 412 ft.
Hang time: 4.5 seconds pic.twitter.com/6502SKvCvr
Arozarena has hit .500 (10-for-20) in his last six Cactus League games. He's hitting .352 (19-for-54) with seven runs, two homers, six RBIs and three steals in spring training.
Robles is hitting .283 (15-for-53) with three homers and nine RBIs in spring. He's hit two homers in his last four games. He's gone 8-for-18 with seven RBIs in his last six games.
💥 Vic's ready 💥 pic.twitter.com/OO1AKzYk8L
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) March 21, 2025
All three players are starting to heat up in the final days of spring training. Rodriguez has received more at-bats in Cactus League action to avoid another slow start, and it seems to be working. Arozarena seems prepared to make his down year an aberration. If Robles doesn't hit .330 again (which is reasonable to expect), he'll still be an effective lead-off hitter and threat on the bases.
Rodriguez is a legitimate 30-30 threat, Arozarena is a 25-25-caliber player and there's no telling how many steals Robles can have with a full season and a constant green light to steal. Robles also could have more power than most believe, based on his recent games.
First Seattle needs to make sure Robles isn't out for an extended period of time. He was hit by an 87-mph slider on his right hand during a game against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday, per a report from Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. He exited the game.
Robles was struck by an 87 mph slider.
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) March 22, 2025
Assuming everyone is healthy, there's a chance the trio can be one of the best in the American League, if not all MLB.
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