On Friday night, as the Seattle Mariners lost to the Tampa Bay Rays, M's outfielder Randy Arozarena drew criticism from Mariners fans over a perceived lack of effort on a ball in left field.

You can rehash the play here, but the venom for Arozarena after the game was harsh from M's fans. 

Arozarena is clearly an important part of the Mariners' roster, helping carry a rather anemic offense in 2026. The only All-Star for the organization this year, he's hitting nearly .290 with 11 homers and 19 stolen bases. In the wake of struggles from Cal Raleigh and Josh Naylor, Arozarena has been a consistent force in the lineup.

But, after the handshake controversy with Cal Raleigh at the World Baseball Classic, and after multiple instances of not running full speed after foul balls, Arozarena has found himself in the crosshairs of M's fans on social media more than once this season.

Between his play, and some of these issues, it got me thinking: Arozarena reminds me of now-former Seattle Seahawks standout Riq Woolen, who just signed with the Philadelphia Eagles this past offseason.

I addressed the comparison further on the most recent 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast.

"Remember Tariq Woolen? He comes up as a rookie and he's top three in the league or so in interceptions. He's one of the best defensive players in the NFL. So Tariq Woolen is clearly good, clearly makes an impact.

What happened the next year? Well, Tariq Woolen really struggled. He really regressed. He got beat on more balls, and there were more penalties, and there was more, "Okay, I don't quite know where I'm supposed to be," and there were fewer interceptions, so there was less impact.

And then now, under Mike Macdonald, we saw, okay, 'Tariq Woolen can play really well, but he's also got some moments that make you scratch your head.' He gets beat in coverage, and how did he not knock that pass down? The ball goes over his head and San Francisco scores the game-winning touchdown in Week 1 last year, and now he gets a penalty and he's barking at the sideline against the Rams in the NFC title game.

But he'll also do something spectacular, and he's long and lanky, and you're like, "Man, this guy's really good. Our team is better with him when he's fully engaged, but man, when he's not fully engaged, things have a tendency to go a little haywire."

That seems to be Randy Arozarena."

And for what it's worth, the Seahawks let Woolen go in free agency despite winning a Super Bowl with him in 2025. And Arozarena is headed for free agency after the season as well, and it seems like a foregone conclusion that he'll be gone too.

The Mariners open up the second half of the season against the San Francisco Giants on Friday night. Seattle is 48-49 and 1.5 games back of the Texas Rangers in the American League West.

The newest edition of the 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast is now out! We talk about the perception of Randy Arozarena, and Mississippi State baseball coach Brian O'Connor stops by to talk about Ace Reese, who the Mariners drafted in the first round of the MLB Draft. You can listen here, or you can watch the YouTube player below.

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