Mexico's Randy Arozarena was the biggest star of the World Baseball Classic. Even with a semi-final loss to the eventual champions Japan, Arozarena's celebrity is continuing to grow after the tournament. His arms-crossed celebration is making waves across the sports world.
US National Team's Mia Fishel does the celebration here after a goal for her club Tigres UANL Femenil. It will be exciting to watch the classic celebration spread across athletes and sports alike.
The newfound fame is not something that Arozarena is unprepared for. He has a history of stepping up in big moments on the national stage. He had one of the best postseasons in recent memory during the Tampa Bay Rays run to the World Series in 2020.
The World Baseball Classic now puts Arozarena in the spotlight on the global stage. Not forgotten with his notoriety is the fact that Arozarena played stellar baseball for Mexico.
Mexico had an unprecedented run to the semifinals, and would have had a chance at the title if it weren't for a ninth inning rally by Japan to walk it off 6-5. They had some incredible moments in the tournament, highlighted by a dominating 11-5 win against their rivals to the North, USA.
Among other Latin American countries like Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, experts had Mexico as the earliest exist. Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic brought rosters loaded with elite talent, but it was Mexico who ultimately went the deepest into the tournament.
The World Baseball Classic will return in three years in 2026. Once it arrives, baseball fans will be anticipating the follow up effort to an incredible tournament from Randy Arozarena and Mexico.