Randy Arozarena has had himself quite the year. Since joining the Tampa Bay Rays during the 2020 season, Arozarena has risen to stardom. The fan-favorite played a key role in the Rays' World Series run last year, earning ALCS MVP honors in the process.
Well, the 26-year-old added to his trophy case on Monday. Major League Baseball announced that the Cuban outfielder was named the Jackie Robinson American League Rookie of the Year. He is the sixth Cuban-born player to win AL ROY honors, and the fourth Tampa Bay Ray, joining a group consisting of the likes of Wil Myers, Jeremy Hellickson and Evan Longoria.
.@RandyArozarena is the Jackie Robinson AL Rookie of the Year!
Arozarena helped lead the Rays to an AL East title with a 20-20 season. pic.twitter.com/ReNjnP3vvO
— MLB (@MLB) November 15, 2021
It's a well-deserved feat for Arozarena who has done nothing but impress since finding himself in the national spotlight. He hit 20 home runs and stole 20 bases for the AL East-winning Rays in 2021, helping the team secure its second consecutive division title. He led all rookies with an impressive 4.1 WAR.
In addition to Arozarena's heroics at the plate, the rookie was a defensive stalwart for the Rays. He committed just one error on the year, having started 119 games in the outfield for Tampa. He featured in a total of 141 games, including 19 games as the team's designated hitter.
Arozarena bested his teammate Wander Franco as well as Houston Astros right-handed starting pitcher Luis Garcia for the award. Arozarena received 124 points from voters, securing him the honors over Garcia who had 63 points. Franco received 30 points and came in third.
Prior to this season, Arozarena had played in a total of 42 regular-season games. He debuted in 2019 as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals and even managed to make the team's playoff roster. He wasn't retained in 2020, however, and ended up latching on with the Rays, where he's become a mainstay in the lineup.