Randy Arozarena was an absolute monster in the postseason for the Tampa Bay Rays, and that’s something Kevin Cash could see coming.
Cash on Tuesday was named AL Manager of the Year. Cash managed the Rays to the best record in the American League. The team also made it to the World Series, where they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games.
Arozarena batted .377 with a 1.273 OPS in the postseason. His 10 home runs were the most for a single postseason.
During an interview with MLB Network on Tuesday, Cash was asked whether he knew Arozarena could be special.
“It’s a pretty impressive job that our front office does every single year — recognizes talent. And Randy was a bright spot for us this year. But I think we all some things in spring training 1.0 that this guy has a chance to be special,” Cash said. “When he came up, it was basically impossible to keep him out of the lineup. And then we all saw what he did in the postseason. It’s going to go down as one of the best postseasons in the history of our game. It was fun to have the best seat in the house to watch.”
Arozarena was acquired by the Rays in a January trade with the Cardinals. He did not make his season debut for the Rays until late August and only played in 23 regular season games. He punished the ball in his limited time though, as he had seven home runs in 64 at-bats.
Next season will give us a better idea of whether Arozarena is a true star on the rise or just went through an incredible hot streak.
