Randy Arozarena set the bar very high, the challenge is with himself (Cubans in MLB 2022)

By Juan Paez

Meet Randy Arozarena:

• Team: Tampa Bay Rays
• Position: Left/right fielder
• Age on Opening Day 2022: 27
• Bat / Throw: Right / Right
• Height Weight: 180cm / 83kg
• How was it acquired?: Via trade from the St. Louis Cardinals along with José Martínez and a 2020 draft pick for pitcher Matthew Liberatore, catcher Edgardo Rodríguez (both minor leaguers) and a draft pick.
• How much will you earn this year? 575 thousand dollars
• Important / curious fact: In 2021, he defeated José Adolis García (4th), Wander Franco (3rd) and Luis García (2nd) to prevail in the battle for the American League Rookie of the Year award.

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Statistics in 2021:

141J

604 AP

529 VB

145H

32 2B

3 3B

20HR

69 IC

94 AC

20BR

10 CS

56 bbs

170K

.274/.356/.459

.815 OPS

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important stat

20-20 was the record Randy Arozarena in home runs and stolen bases, one of 10 players who achieved that balance in 2021 and the only one on his club. He also became the fourth Cuban to go 20-20, along with José Canseco (3), Dagoberto Campaneris and Rafael Palmeiro.

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How do you get to 2022?

After coming under the table in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, in 2020 Randy Arozarena outshone every legend who made it through the postseason. He made October his land and loaded with the line-up of the Rays throughout those playoffs, breaking or tying any record that came their way.

In 2021, with a long season ahead of him, he did not disappoint either. He appeared in 141 of Tampa Bay’s 162 regular-round games and won AL Rookie of the Year. Although his performance in the first half was fairly subdued, Arozarena finished as a key figure in the second half of the season as the Rays closed with 100 wins and a commanding lead in first place in the Eastern Division.

And it is that the second part of the harvest was simply brilliant for the man from Pinar del Río. In 59 games, Arozarena released 66 hits, 17 doubles, two triples and 10 home runs; he drove in 28 runs, scored 42, stole nine bases and drew 22 walks. All this accompanied by a line of .308/.389/.547, with an OPS of .935. With a solid first crop complete with those led by Kevin Cash, the Rays have Arozarena for a while.

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What awaits you this year?

Arozarena will once again serve as the spark plug in the lineup for the Rays, who lost Nelson Cruz, traded Joey Wendle and have yet to acquire a heavy hitter. And after a very productive year, the outfielder has to produce at a similar or better level in 2022, especially for the Rays to overcome the thirst for revenge that the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox and the Red Sox must have. the Toronto Blue Jays in one of the toughest divisions in baseball.

2022 will again represent the opportunity for the Rays to transcend in the postseason and win it all. And Arozarena will be there to help them, as he’s a .354/.436/.760 hitter in 110 career plate appearances at the October party.

Individually, the outfielder’s mission will be to continue impressing Tampa Bay so that, sooner rather than later, this organization will give him a multi-year, multimillion-dollar contract with which to ensure his economic future and as a Major League player.

We will be evaluating player by player before the start of the 2022 Major League Baseball season. To see the other profiles, you can do click here.