The playoffs are just what Mariners need to ignite their slumping slugger

Randy Arozarena has undoubtedly been one of the spark plugs for the Seattle Mariners during his first full season in Seattle. Despite some concerns about what to expect from the mercurial talent, he's been excellent and was deservedly rewarded with the second All-Star selection of his career in July.

Among Arozarena's achievements are a career high of 27 home runs and proving how tough he is by leading the majors with 27 hit by pitches. However, since ending July with a .470 slugging percentage and .823 OPS, the reality is he's been in a slump.

This includes just five hits and 20 strikeouts in his last 49 at-bats over the past 12 games, which has contributed to the 2021 AL Rookie of the Year being down to a .235 batting average and .331 OBP on the season. It speaks volumes about the Mariners that they won 11 of 12 during his rough stretch to win the AL West, but of course they would still rather see him come out of his slump sooner than later, with the playoffs upon us.

Playoffs + Arozarena = spectacular results

Oddly enough, the playoffs might actually be what could help Arozarena emerge from his slump, given his past success on the big stage during October. He's actually the best playoff hitter since Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, with a tremendous 1.104 OPS.

The Cuba native just seems like someone built to succeed despite the pressure which comes with postseason baseball. With just 42 games of regular season experience to his name, he set all sorts of records during the 2020 playoffs with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Over the course of 20 playoff games, Arozarena had a .377/.442/.831 slash line as he hit 10 home runs and collected 14 RBIs, while adding 19 runs of his own. As per Adam Berry of MLB.com, he set Major League records for the most hits, home runs and total bases in a single postseason.

The accolades for the 30-year-old included being named ALCS MVP for the Rays. He was also genuinely in contention to become just the second ever player named World Series MVP despite being on the losing team.

A Mariners mindset before even joining the team

What else really stood out and impressed people during the 2020 playoffs was Arozarena's focus on the team's success as a whole as opposed to his own, a la Cal Raleigh. At the time he said: "I don't play for records, I just want to try and win and help the team, that's way more important than the records."

While the bulk of Arozarena's postseason heroics came during that magical 2020 run, he has still succeeded in subsequent playoff appearances. Yes the sample size is quite a bit smaller, but a 1.074 OPS in 2021 and then a .875 OPS two years later for the Rays still counts for something.

Mariners fans must be salivating at the thought of the playoff version of Arozarena when this year's festivities begin on October 4. If he emerges from his slump, just imagine him alongside Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez, Josh Naylor, Jorge Polanco and Eugenio Suárez.

Suffice it to say it would be extremely difficult if not outright impossible for opposing pitchers to get through this Mariners lineup if they are clicking. And Arozarena could be the biggest key of all with his proven playoff pedigree, as the franchise takes aim at making their first ever trip to the World Series.