Randy Arozarena's 500th Run

The Boat

In June 2015, Randy Arozarena was 20 years old on a broken boat crossing the Yucatán Channel. His father Jesús had died from an allergic reaction. The crossing took eight or nine hours through high waves with sharks nearby. He closed his eyes, thought of his family, and prayed to his late father until the boat reached Isla Mujeres, Mexico.

He grew up in Cuba and started in soccer before switching to baseball around age 12 because it paid and his family needed the support. His younger brother Raiko stayed with soccer and became a goalkeeper for the Cuban national team. Arozarena went the other way.

The Tiger

He established residency in Mexico, signed with the Cardinals for $1.25 million in 2016, and debuted in St. Louis in August 2019. In Double-A, manager Johnny Rodriguez — a fellow Cuban who saw himself in the quiet newcomer — mentored him daily on all-out effort and staying out of trouble. Years later Rodriguez called the soft-spoken Arozarena a tiger on the field. In Tampa Bay by 2020, he was named ALCS MVP, then won the Jackie Robinson AL Rookie of the Year the following season.

While with Mayos de Navojoa in the Mexican Pacific League, he once jokingly wore a teammate's cowboy boots to batting practice, hit a home run, and kept using the lucky boots for key moments — including his record-setting 2020 postseason.

Five Hundred

On July 4, his eighth major-league season, Arozarena scored his 500th career run. He has 515 now. His Mariners tenure began in 2024, and he is in his third season with Seattle. He became a Mexican citizen and represented Mexico in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, earning Pool C MVP honors. He is a three-time All-Star, including this year.

Across 896 games he has 826 hits, 150 stolen bases, and a .348 on-base percentage. He has 97 hits in 95 games for the Mariners in 2026.

He is 31 years old, an outfielder for Seattle.

Reporting: ESPN, MLB.com, Baseball America, Wikipedia. Career and biographical data: MLB StatsAPI, via the Fever engine.