Tampa Bay Ray's Randy Arozarena wins 2021 American League Rookie of the Year
It didn’t feel like Randy Arozarena was a rookie this season.
Tampa Bay’s speedy and powerful outfielder certainly didn’t play like one, either.
Arozarena won AL Rookie of the Year honors with a superb follow-up to his 2020 postseason heroics while Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India earned NL Rookie of the Year on Monday night.
The standout years for Arozarena and India highlight the changing profile of a good MLB leadoff hitter. Both players have speed and a good eye, but also considerable power. It’s the first time since 1953 that the rookie of the year winners were both primarily leadoff hitters. That season, Detroit’s Harvey Kuenn and Brooklyn’s Jim Gilliam won.
If it didn’t seem like this wasn’t Arozarena’s first year, there’s a reason. The 26-year-old Cuban provided a stunning lift for the Rays during the 2020 postseason with 10 homers in 18 games during their run to the World Series.
But Arozarena didn’t play enough during the 2020 regular season to lose his rookie status so he was eligible for the award this year. He followed up his postseason breakout with an excellent season in 2021, finishing with a .274 average, 32 doubles, 20 homers, 20 stolen bases and 69 RBIs while adding excellent defense, helping the Rays return to the postseason.
“I know I was favored to be the rookie of the year,” Arozarena said through a translator. “But for me, my mind wasn’t set on the award or winning the award. My mind and my goal was to have another good season and continue what I had done the year before.”
Arozarena earned 22 of 30 first-place votes in balloting by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, beating out Houston right-hander Luis Garcia and Tampa Bay infielder Wander Franco.
Arozarena is Tampa Bay’s first rookie of the year since outfielder Wil Myers in 2013.
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Five AL players received at least one first-place vote in this year’s tally, including Garcia, Franco, Texas outfielder Adolis García and Cleveland pitcher Emmanuel Clase. Garcia hit 31 homers this season while Clase had a 1.29 ERA in Cleveland’s bullpen.
The 20-year-old Franco has the label as one of MLB’s future stars and his performance in 2021 did nothing to discourage that billing. The infielder hit .288 with seven homers and 39 homers while playing less than half the season.
The 24-year-old Garcia was instrumental in the Astros’ run to the World Series this season. He had an 11-8 record with a 3.48 ERA and struck out 167 batters over 155 1/3 innings.
UP NEXT
The Managers of the Year will be announced by the BBWAA on Tuesday night, followed by the Cy Young Awards on Wednesday and the MVPs on Thursday.
The AL finalists for Manager of the Year are Tampa Bay’s Kevin Cash, Seattle’s Scott Servais and Houston’s Dusty Baker. The NL finalists are Milwaukee’s Craig Counsell, St. Louis’ Mike Shildt and San Francisco’s Gabe Kapler.