Randy Arozarena Is The Breakout Star The Yankees Can’t Contain

Postseason games have a way of showing many things and among them is a breakout star that carries a team or at least contributes significantly to a winning cause.

New York baseball observers certainly recall Daniel Murphy using his power to get the Mets into the World Series five years ago and then parlaying it into a three-year deal with the Washington Nationals where he became one of those guys some people say “Why Can’t the Mets get guys like this.”

The postseason is a little over a week old and while there are various standout performances, New York baseball fans are witnessing one every time Randy Arozarena enters the batter’s box.

Arozarena was not the sole reason the Rays put the Yankees to the brink of a second Division Series loss in three years under Aaron Boone, but he contributed again with the homer that knocked out Masahiro Tanaka in the fifth.

It also continued a remarkable postseason for the outfielder, whose achievements through Tampa Bay’s first five playoff games are highlighted by 12 bullet points in the Yankees’ postgame notes.

Among them are 25 total bases matching Giancarlo Stanton for the most by any player in his first five games of a postseason. Or the third rookie to homer in three straight postseasons, joining Evan Longoria in 2008 and Kyle Schwarber in 2015

Other highlights include being the first rookie to homer in three straight postseason games against the Yankees or according to STATS, being the third rookie ever to have four straight multi-hit games in the postseason.

The first player to achieve the feat were Pepper Martin, who was 12-for-24 in first five games of the 1931 World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Philadelphia Athletics who started Lefty Grove and George Earnshaw twice along with Waite Hoyt.

The second player was Miguel Cabrera, who went 4-for-5 against San Francisco in Game 4 of the 2003 NLDS and 6-for-14 in the first three games of the NLCS against the Chicago Cubs.

Whichever is your preferred postgame tidbit about the outfielder, his impressive postseason debut is enjoyable for the Rays, who can secure a trip to the ALCS where they hope to see more.

It also is a continuation of what Arozarena did in the regular season that produced a 1.022 OPS in 64 at-bats over 23 games with seven homers, nine extra-base hits five years after being a star second baseman in the Cuban National Series and less than a year after the St. Louis Cardinals traded him to Tampa Bay.

His breakout is coming after he tested positive for COVID-19 during the intake testing in summer camp. And when that happens there’s a lot of solitary time, so according to MLB.com and mentioned on the TBS telecast Wednesday, Arozarena ate chicken and rice daily and then did 300 pushups, resulting in 15 more pounds of muscle.

It also resulted his teammates offering platitudes many, many, many, people have said about LeBron James at various points.

“He’s the best player on the planet, it’s incredible,” Rays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier said.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Rays pitcher Charlie Morton said.

“I can’t even describe how he’s playing. I feel like he even with eyes closed he can hit. He’s from another planet.”

Ok maybe not the best player on the planet like James, who gets that status anointed even in preseason, but the postseason is all about the present tense and the Yankees have no idea how to pitch to him amongst their various issues.

So far, the Yankees have thrown 48 pitches to him with little success. His three hits in the series opener were on fastballs. He got a hit off another fastball and a slider in Game 2 and then it was a sinker and two sliders for his three hits in Game 3.

No wonder, the Yankees basically copped to being clueless on how to get him out.

“I don’t see think I’ve ever seen it before where a guy punishes every single mistake,” catcher Kyle Higashioka said. “We can’t get away with anything against him right now.”

Right now, Arozarena is what’s happening against Yankee pitching. Stopping the outfielder is among the numerous ways the Yankees need to turn this thing around.