Michael Arroyo’s path to Seattle is getting clearer, and the Mariners may have a few different ways to use him if they make the move.
The club’s No. 3 prospect has had a steady age-21 season, first turning heads in Double-A Arkansas with a 125 wRC+, then moving up in early July alongside fellow top prospect Lazaro Montes. Since the promotion, Arroyo has put together a 103 wRC+ over 187 plate appearances, and his .817 OPS is almost a dead ringer for the .820 mark he posted in Double-A.
That production has reportedly put him in the mix for a late-season call-up. The tricky part is figuring out where he fits. Arroyo has spent this season at second base and in left field, two spots that are already occupied by Cole Young and Randy Arozarena.
Still, Seattle may be eyeing him for something more than just one position. Arroyo spent most of his early pro career as a shortstop, with some second base mixed in, but as the Mariners built around Cole Young and Colt Emerson in the middle infield, keeping him boxed into a depth role no longer made much sense. That’s part of why he’s logged more than half his time in left field this year.
Now there’s another wrinkle: this week, he has also started getting work at first base, a spot he has never played professionally.
The Mariners could always turn to Leo Rivas, who has experience all over the diamond in the majors. But Arroyo brings a different kind of value because of the bat.
He’s not known as a big power guy, yet his approach has created plenty of chances this season. He’s swinging at 54.8% of pitches, one of the most aggressive rates in Triple-A.
That comes with chase risk, but his whiff rate of 22.2% ranks in the 72nd percentile among Triple-A hitters. And while he doesn’t match a slugger like Montes for raw pop, his home run per fly ball rate has actually ticked up in Triple-A to 14.0%, compared with 12.2% in Double-A.
With Colt Emerson on the injured list, there’s even a scenario where Arroyo could slide back to his natural shortstop spot if the Mariners keep J.P. Crawford at third base and decide Brock Rodden isn’t the answer there.
For now, the exact landing spot remains uncertain. The bigger takeaway is that Seattle appears to have several workable options if Arroyo gets the call.
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