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The five moments that made Randy Arozarena a superstar

Randy Arozarena is now a bonafide superstar, so how did he reach that status?

By Ryan Clark

World Series - Tampa Bay Rays v Los Angeles Dodgers - Game Six
World Series - Tampa Bay Rays v Los Angeles Dodgers - Game Six / Tom Pennington/GettyImages
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4. Winning Rookie of the Year

The Tampa Bay Rays’ 2021 rookie class truly was one of the best a team has had in recent memory. They called up yearly Cy Young candidate Shane McClanahan, acquired ace rookie reliever-turned-starter Drew Rasmussen and gave super prospect Wander Franco his first chance to prove himself. Despite these stars having rookie seasons, only one could win the coveted American League Rookie of the Year, and that star was Randy Aorzarena.

Arozarena had eye-popping numbers in his first full season in the Major Leagues. He had a 20 home run/20 stolen base season, something only achieved by 11 rookies since 1958. Arozarena also led all 2021 rookies in baseball reference’s WAR, with a solid 4.1. This season also saw some incredible highlight reel plays from Arozarena in the field, such as his now iconic Superman-style dive against the Blue Jays.