ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — Tampa Bay Rays' outfielder Randy Arozarena has been named the American League's Rookie of the year.
Fans may be surprised to hear the Cuban phenom is only a rookie after seeing him absolutely destroy in the playoffs the past two seasons. However, technically, 2021 was Arozarena's first full season. He beat out fellow Rays teammate Wander Franco for the award.
During his rookie campaign, Arozarena slashed .274/.356/.459 with 20 home runs. He is only the fourth Rays player to win the award - Will Myers, Jeremy Hellickson and Evan Longoria have won in the past.
However, Tampa Bay may remember him more fondly as the man who hit a record number of home runs during the pandemic postseason in 2020.
Randy and the team were unable to recapture that playoff magic this season but the future looks bright for the team.
