| Randy Arozarena | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Arozarena with theTampa Bay Rays in 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seattle Mariners – No. 56 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Left fielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born: (1995-02-28)February 28, 1995 (age 30) Mantua,Pinar del Río, Cuba | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bats: Right Throws: Right | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MLB debut | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| August 14, 2019, for the St. Louis Cardinals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics (through 2025 season) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .250 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 118 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 390 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stolen bases | 131 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Stats atBaseball Reference  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medals
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Randy Lia Arozarena González (born February 28, 1995) is aCuban-born Mexican professionalbaseballleft fielder for theSeattle Mariners ofMajor League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for theSt. Louis Cardinals andTampa Bay Rays. He has representedMexico in international baseball competitions after previously playing forCuban youth teams.
Arozarenadefected from Cuba to Mexico in 2015, then signed with the Cardinals in 2016. He made his MLB debut in 2019 and was traded to the Rays before the 2020 season. That year, Arozarena set the MLB record with 10 home runs in one postseason.[1] Four of those came against theHouston Astros in theAmerican League Championship Series, netting himseries MVP honors.[2] The following year, he won theAL Rookie of the Year award. He was named to his firstAll-Star Game in2023, where he started in left field.[3] Tampa Bay traded him to Seattle during the 2024 season. He was again named an All-Star in 2025.
During the 2013–14 and 2014–15 seasons, Arozarena played forVegueros de Pinar del Río of theCuban National Series. In his final season, heslashed .291/.412/.419 with threehome runs, 24runs batted in (RBI), and 15stolen bases in 74 games played.[4]
In 2015, Arozarenadefected from Cuba to Mexico on a small boat.[5] He had brief stints in theMérida Winter League, theNorte de México League, and with theToros de Tijuana of theMexican League in 2016, before playing for theMayos de Navojoa of theMexican Pacific League in the winter after the 2016 season.
Arozarena signed withSt. Louis Cardinals as an international free agent on August 1, 2016, for $1.25 million.[6] He debuted in the United States 2017 with thePalm Beach Cardinals, with whom he was named aFlorida State League All-Star,[7] before advancing to theSpringfield Cardinals at the beginning of July.[8] He had a combined .266 batting average with 11 home runs, 49 RBI, and 18 stolen bases over 121 games with both clubs.[9] Following the season, he returned to the Mayos de Navojoa, where he slashed .292/.366/.558 and led the Mexican Pacific League with 14 home runs in 65 games.[10] The Mayos made it to the championship series. Although the team did not win the series, Arozarena had awalk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 6.[11]
Arozarena was a non-roster invitee to the Cardinals' 2018spring training.[12] He began the season with theMemphis Redbirds. In July, he was selected to theAll-Star Futures Game.[13] Arozarena also played 24 games in the middle of the season down with Springfield. He helped Memphis win thePacific Coast League (PCL) title and was named a co-MVP of the PCL playoffs with teammateTommy Edman.[14] Over 113 games between Memphis and Springfield, he batted .274/.359/.433 with 12 home runs, 49 RBI, and 26 stolen bases.[9] Arozarena played a third season of winter baseball for Mayos de Navojoa in 2018, appearing in 15 games.
Arozarena began the 2019 season on theinjured list[15] after he suffered a fractured hand during spring training.[16] He returned to action in May with Springfield before being promoted back to Memphis in June.[17][18]
On August 12, 2019, the Cardinals selected Arozarena's contract and promoted him to the major leagues.[19][20] He made his major league debut on August 14 against theKansas City Royals.[21]
Arozarena said he promised his father before dying that he would make it to the major leagues and that after getting multiple hits on his very first day, it gave him extra pressure for the next game.[22]
He was sent down to Memphis on August 20 but returned to St. Louis on September 3. In 19 games with St. Louis, Arozarena hit .300 with one home run, two RBIs, and two stolen bases.[23] He came off the bench in five Cardinals postseason games, going 0-for-4 and getting hit by a pitch after sticking his elbow into anoff-speed pitch fromAníbal Sánchez.[24][25]
On January 9, 2020, Arozarena was traded to theTampa Bay Rays withJosé Martínez and the Cardinals’ competitive balance round A draft pick forMatthew Liberatore, Edgardo Rodriguez, and the Rays’ competitive balance round B draft pick.[26] Arozarena started the shortened 2020 season on theCOVID-19 minor league injured list,[27] joining the Rays on August 30.[28] Over 23 games in the regular season, Arozarena batted .281 with seven home runs and 11 RBIs.[23]
Arozarena took off in the expanded2020 postseason. He had three extra base hits and scored three runs in the two-gameWild Card Series, then batted .429 with 3 home runs in the five-gameAmerican League Division Series (ALDS) win over theNew York Yankees.[24] In Game 7 of theAmerican League Championship Series (ALCS) against theHouston Astros, Arozarena hit a two-run home run, passing former RayEvan Longoria for the most home runs by a rookie in a postseason.[29][30] Arozarena was named theMVP of the ALCS, the first rookie position player to win the award. In the series, he hit .321 with four home runs and six RBIs.[31] Arozarena then hit home runs in Game 3, 4, and 6 of theWorld Series, breaking the all-time record for most home runs in a single postseason.[1] In Game 3, he surpassedDerek Jeter for most hits by a rookie in the postseason.[32] In Game 5, he recorded his 27th hit in the postseason, surpassingPablo Sandoval for the most hits in a single postseason (he was subsequently passed byErnie Clement in 2025).[33] Arozarena attributed his playoff power stroke to wearing a special pair of lucky cowboy boots, which he calls his "power boots."[34]
For the2021 season, Arozarena batted .274/.356/.459 with 20 home runs, 69 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases in 141 games. Hison-base plus slugging (OPS) was 29 percent above league average.[35] In Game 1 of theALDS against theBoston Red Sox, he became the first player to hit a home run and steal home in the same playoff game.[36] Arozarena won theAL Rookie of the Year Award, the first Ray to do so sinceWil Myers in 2013.[37]
In 2022, Arozarena stole 32 bases, tied for third in the majors, but he also led the major leagues by being caught stealing 12 times. He batted .269/.344/.463 with 20 home runs and an OPS 24 percent better than the MLB average.[38]
The Rays created a "Randy Land" fan seating section behind Arozarena in left field early in the 2023 season.[39] Arozarena was voted by fans to be a starting outfielder in theMLB All-Star Game, his first All-Star Game selection.[40] He also competed in theHome Run Derby, losing toVladimir Guerrero Jr. in the final round.[41] On August 12, Arozarena hit a walk-off single againstEmmanuel Clase.[42] On August 31, Arozarena stole third base against theMiami Marlins and became the first MLB player to record three straight 20–20 seasons to begin his career.[43] He finished the season with a then-career-beat 23 home runs and 80 walks, batting .254/.364/.425 with 22 stolen bases.[44] He went 3-for-8 in theWild Card Series, as the Rays were swept in two games by the eventualWorld Series championTexas Rangers.[24]
Arozarena slumped to start 2024, batting .158 at the end of May.[45] With the Rays in last place in mid-June, rumors of the team looking to trade Arozarena began to spread.[46] His hitting improved somewhat, and he hit .211/.318/.394 with 15 home runs in 100 games for the Rays. In five seasons with Tampa Bay, Arozarena hit .255 with 85 home runs and 94 stolen bases.[44]
Arozarena is the Rays' franchise leader with 59 hit by pitches, one ahead ofBrandon Guyer, and ranks in the top 10 in many offensive categories, including home runs, stolen bases, and OPS.[47] He also holds many Rays postseason records, including most hits, home runs, and total bases,[48] batting .349 in 28 games.[24]
On July 25, 2024, Arozarena was traded to theSeattle Mariners forBrody Hopkins,Aidan Smith, andTy Cummings.[49] Arozarena said goodbye to Rays fans in "Randy Land" following the trade.[50][51] Arozarena hit his 20th home run on September 15, completing his fourth consecutive 20–20 season.[52] Combined with the Rays and Mariners in 2024, Arozarena slashed .254/.346/.436 with the 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases as well as 60 RBI in 648 plate appearances.[44] He tied for the lowest line drive percentage in MLB, at 14.4 percent.[53]
On April 9, Arozarena hit a grand slam and drew a walk-off walk to defeat Houston.[54] On June 30, he hit two home runs, including his 100th career home run off Royals pitcherMichael Wacha as he went 2-for-4 with those two home runs and four RBIs.[55] Arozarena was named anAll-Star for the second time in his career, replacing teammateJulio Rodríguez.[56] Arozarena stole his 20th stolen base on July 29, completing his fifth consecutive 20–20 season. He tiedMike Trout for third-most 20–20 seasons in American League history behindAlex Rodriguez (six) andJosé Ramírez (seven).[57] In 2025, Arozarena hit .238/.334/.426 with a career-high 27 home runs as well as 31 stolen bases and 76 RBI.[44]
In the 2025 postseason, Arozarena led the majors with 5 stolen bases. He hit .188 with one home run as the Mariners lost in theALCS.[58]
_(cropped).jpg)
Before his defection, Arozarena represented his home country ofCuba at the youth level, playing in the2011 U-16 Baseball World Cup and the2013 U-18 Baseball World Cup inTaichung, where Cuba won the bronze medal.
Arozarena announced his intention to play forMexico in 2020, saying "I feel like I represent Mexico. I have a daughter in Mexico, and I’d do it in honor of her and for the part of my career that I spent in Mexico, and for all the friends I’ve made in Mexico.”[59] In October 2022, MLB announced that Arozarena would play for Mexico in the2023 World Baseball Classic.[60]
Arozarena was named themost valuable player of Pool C in the tournament, bestingMike Trout.[61] In the semifinal game againstJapan, Arozarena hit a double to score the go-ahead run and made several timely catches, including a "home-run robbery" fromKazuma Okamoto. However, Mexico would lose the game on a walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth inning.[62] Arozarena led Mexico in many offensive categories, batting .450/.607/.900 with six doubles, one home run, and nine RBIs in the tournament.[63] Mexican PresidentAndrés Manuel López Obrador called Arozarena a "phenomenon" for his tournament performance.[64] Arozarena was named to theAll-WBC team; he andTrea Turner were the only unanimous selections.[65] Arozarena received his all-tournament award from MexicanForeign SecretaryMarcelo Ebrard at a Rays game on May 21, 2023.[66]
Arozarena was born in Cuba, growing up in the neighborhood ofArroyos de Mantua. As a child, he first played soccer before committing to baseball as a 12-year-old because he could earn money playing it.[67][6] Shortly after his father Jesús died, he fled Cuba in June 2015 on a small, broken boat, traveling eight or nine hours toIsla Mujeres, Mexico, where he established residency before signing his first MLB contract.[59][67][6]
Arozarena is married to Cenelia Pinedo Blanco and has two daughters,[68][6] one of whom was born in Mexico in 2018.[69] On November 23, 2020, Arozarena was arrested in Mexico'sYucatán state after allegedly trying to kidnap his daughter from her mother and assaulting the woman's father.[70][71] He was released two days later as the child's mother did not press charges.[72] Arozarena's second daughter was born in 2021.[73]
Fellow Cuban outfielderAdolis García is the godfather of one of Arozarena's daughters. The two outfielders were teammates and roommates in the Cardinals' minor league system, and Arozarena described Garcia as "kind of like my brother" in 2023.[74][75] The two friends both started in the outfield in the 2023 All-Star Game, after Arozarena bested Garcia in the Home Run Derby.[3][41]
Arozarena's younger brother is soccer playerRaiko Arozarena, currently agoalkeeper for theCuban national team and theLas Vegas Lights of theUSL Championship.[76][77] His family also includes his mother Sandra and his other younger brother Ronny.[6]
In 2020, a film based on Arozarena's life was being developed with an estimated release in 2022 or 2023.[78] Arozarena confirmed in 2023 that the film had fallen through but said he still wanted to make a movie about his life.[6]
Arozarena became a Mexican citizen in 2022, prior to representing the country in international baseball.[60]
Arozarena loves soccer and is a fan ofReal Madrid andCristiano Ronaldo.[6]
Media related toRandy Arozarena at Wikimedia Commons
