Randy Arozarena

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #2 prospect in 2021
  Hitting: 55. Power: 60. Speed: 70. Fielding: 50. Arm: 55
  Track Record: When the Rays acquired Arozarena in a trade that sent touted lefthander Matthew Liberatore to the Cardinals, it seemed like a high price to pay. Those concerns quickly faded. A positive coronavirus test delayed Arozarena’s 2020 debut until Aug. 30, but he was one of baseball’s best hitters in September and then for the Rays in the playoffs. He hit seven home runs through the ALCS, breaking the rookie record for homers in a single postseason.
  
  Scouting Report: Arozarena’s electric hands and bat speed allow him to catch up to fastballs up in the zone, and he’s gotten strong enough to do damage. He has solid pitch recognition skills, and his bat-to-ball ability has stood out for years through a long track record of hitting for average and getting on base. Arozarena takes some massive swings, but there’s a method to it—his swing gets bigger in advantageous counts. Defensively, Arozarena is a fast-twitch athlete with plus-plus speed and an excellent burst, but his poor routes need to improve to make him more than an average defender.
  
  The Future: Arozarena’s postseason was one for the ages, but he’ll have to make adjustments as the league sees more of him and finds his weaknesses. Most evaluators see him settling in as a .270 hitter with 20-25 home runs and 10-15 steals.
• 
  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #14 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Arozarena starred in Cuba's junior national leagues growing up and signed with the Cardinals for $1.25 million in 2016 after a brief stint in the Mexican League. After a steady three-year climb through the system, Arozarena made his major league debut in 2019 and earned a spot on the Cardinals' postseason roster.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Arozarena is an energetic spark plug with tools, but he is still learning to take consistent at-bats. He separates balls from strikes and drives the ball gap-to-gap when he connects. He is extremely aggressive and prone to over-swinging, which results in lots of whiffs against breaking stuff and inconsistent quality of contact. His pure bat speed and feel for the zone make him a potentially average hitter, and he showed flashes by batting .344 in the minors in 2019. He has sneaky pop and hit a career-high 16 home runs as well. Arozarena's best tool is plus speed, though he can be reckless on the bases and is prone to running into outs. He adequately plays all three outfield positions with his plus athleticism and average arm.
  
  THE FUTURE: Arozarena's speed and defensive versatility give him a chance to stick as a fourth outfielder. Whether he improves his approach will determine if he becomes more.
• 
  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #17 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: The Cardinals signed Arozarena for $1.25 million in 2016, banking on his record as a speedy catalyst in Cuba's Serie Nacional and international competition. After reaching Double-A in his first year in the U.S. in 2017, Arozarena made the Futures Game and reached Triple-A in 2018.
  
  Scouting Report: Arozarena is a plus runner who plays fast and hard, sometimes to his detriment. At his best, Arozarena shoots balls gap-to-gap, lays down bunts and takes his walks to get on base. As he neared the majors at Triple-A, however, Arozarena veered from playing hard into playing reckless. He showed a propensity for wild swings, poor pitch selection and running when he shouldn't, resulting in unnecessary outs on the bases. Arozarena has the ingredients to hit with quick-twitch athleticism, bat speed and surprising pop, but his lack of adjustments create hesitation about how much he'll actually produce. Arozarena can handle center field but others in the system are better, so he primarily projects to left field with his average arm.
  
  The Future: Arozarena has tools, but he has to improve his approach and decision-making to be more than a backup. He'll be 24 on Opening Day and needs to show progress soon.
• 
  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #11 prospect in 2018
  Arozarena starred in Cuba's junior leagues and on its 2013 18U national team, where he finished second behind only teammate Yoan Moncada in on-base percentage during tournament play in Taiwan. The Cardinals invested heavily in Cuban talent during the 2016-17 international signing period and signed Arozarena for $1.25 million. Arozarena delivered a positive early return on that investment, finishing among the organization leaders in doubles (32), triples (four), and stolen bases (18) in 2017 while climbing to Double-A in his first season. He is wired for contact with a quick, simple righthanded stroke that stays in the hitting zone for a long time. He has a strong eye at the plate, doesn't chase, and uses the whole field. He has wiry strength and more juice in his bat than expected from his 5-foot-11, 170-pound frame, although his developing power is presently all pull-side. He enhances his offensive game as an above-average-to-plus runner who uses his speed efficiently to steal bases. Arozaena primarily played left field in his debut season, but is average to above in center field as well. He plays hard and with some flair on the field. Arozarena's total package, with his line-drive ability and speed, fits atop a lineup.
• 
  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #12 prospect in 2017
  One of the Cuban talents the Cardinals signed later in spending spree on international talent, Arozarena could arrive sooner than any of them. The 21-year-old athlete has all of the traits of a player who could speed toward the majors and enough rawness that some think he'll need some nurturing at a lower level before, in a year or so, being unleashed upon a higher level. Arozarena (which has also been spelled "Arrozarena") starred in Cuba's junior leagues, batting .375/.510/.500 in 154 plate appearances. That earned him a spot on the Cuban 18U national team in 2013 that appeared in Taiwan, and by tournament's end he ranked second on the team in on-base percentage behind uber-prospect Yoan Moncada. The Cardinals went to Mexico to sign Arozarena, who briefly played in the Mexican League for Tijuana in April, for a $1.25 million bonus, and they are open to pushing Arozarena in 2017. He is a plus athlete with good speed and above range at either second or center field. He gets a good jolt from his bat, but is swing is built for liners not lofting. The Cardinals had him focus on center field in winter ball in Mexico, where he slumped after a fast start and hit .289/.382/.347 through 51 games. Because his experience outside of Cuba is so limited, there is an unknown about Arozarena. The Cardinals see untapped, raw talent. He has the look of a leadoff type with a vibrant style in the field, and swift move toward Double-A or Triple-A is possible.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #17 prospect in 2021

• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  Hitting: 55. Power: 60. Speed: 70. Fielding: 50. Arm: 55
  Track Record: When the Rays acquired Arozarena in a trade that sent touted lefthander Matthew Liberatore to the Cardinals, it seemed like a high price to pay. Those concerns quickly faded. A positive coronavirus test delayed Arozarena’s 2020 debut until Aug. 30, but he was one of baseball’s best hitters in September and then for the Rays in the playoffs. He hit seven home runs through the ALCS, breaking the rookie record for homers in a single postseason.
  
  Scouting Report: Arozarena’s electric hands and bat speed allow him to catch up to fastballs up in the zone, and he’s gotten strong enough to do damage. He has solid pitch recognition skills, and his bat-to-ball ability has stood out for years through a long track record of hitting for average and getting on base. Arozarena takes some massive swings, but there’s a method to it—his swing gets bigger in advantageous counts. Defensively, Arozarena is a fast-twitch athlete with plus-plus speed and an excellent burst, but his poor routes need to improve to make him more than an average defender.
  
  The Future: Arozarena’s postseason was one for the ages, but he’ll have to make adjustments as the league sees more of him and finds his weaknesses. Most evaluators see him settling in as a .270 hitter with 20-25 home runs and 10-15 steals.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  Hitting: 55. Power: 60. Speed: 70. Fielding: 50. Arm: 55
  Track Record: When the Rays acquired Arozarena in a trade that sent touted lefthander Matthew Liberatore to the Cardinals, it seemed like a high price to pay. Those concerns quickly faded. A positive coronavirus test delayed Arozarena’s 2020 debut until Aug. 30, but he was one of baseball’s best hitters in September and then for the Rays in the playoffs. He hit seven home runs through the ALCS, breaking the rookie record for homers in a single postseason.
  
  Scouting Report: Arozarena’s electric hands and bat speed allow him to catch up to fastballs up in the zone, and he’s gotten strong enough to do damage. He has solid pitch recognition skills, and his bat-to-ball ability has stood out for years through a long track record of hitting for average and getting on base. Arozarena takes some massive swings, but there’s a method to it—his swing gets bigger in advantageous counts. Defensively, Arozarena is a fast-twitch athlete with plus-plus speed and an excellent burst, but his poor routes need to improve to make him more than an average defender.
  
  The Future: Arozarena’s postseason was one for the ages, but he’ll have to make adjustments as the league sees more of him and finds his weaknesses. Most evaluators see him settling in as a .270 hitter with 20-25 home runs and 10-15 steals.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Arozarena starred in Cuba’s junior national leagues growing up and signed with the Cardinals for $1.25 million in 2016 after a brief stint in the Mexican League. After a steady three-year climb through the system, Arozarena made his major league debut in 2019 and earned a spot on the Cardinals’ postseason roster.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Arozarena is an energetic spark plug with tools, but he is still learning to take consistent at-bats. He separates balls from strikes and drives the ball gap-to-gap when he connects. He is extremely aggressive and prone to over-swinging, which results in lots of whiffs against breaking stuff and inconsistent quality of contact. His pure bat speed and feel for the zone make him a potentially average hitter, and he showed flashes by batting .344 in the minors in 2019. He has sneaky pop and hit a career-high 16 home runs as well. Arozarena’s best tool is plus speed, though he can be reckless on the bases and is prone to running into outs. He adequately plays all three outfield positions with his plus athleticism and average arm.
  
  THE FUTURE: Arozarena’s speed and defensive versatility give him a chance to stick as a fourth outfielder. Whether he improves his approach will determine if he becomes more.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Arozarena starred in Cuba's junior national leagues growing up and signed with the Cardinals for $1.25 million in 2016 after a brief stint in the Mexican League. After a steady three-year climb through the system, Arozarena made his major league debut in 2019 and earned a spot on the Cardinals' postseason roster.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Arozarena is an energetic spark plug with tools, but he is still learning to take consistent at-bats. He separates balls from strikes and drives the ball gap-to-gap when he connects. He is extremely aggressive and prone to over-swinging, which results in lots of whiffs against breaking stuff and inconsistent quality of contact. His pure bat speed and feel for the zone make him a potentially average hitter, and he showed flashes by batting .344 in the minors in 2019. He has sneaky pop and hit a career-high 16 home runs as well. Arozarena's best tool is plus speed, though he can be reckless on the bases and is prone to running into outs. He adequately plays all three outfield positions with his plus athleticism and average arm.
  
  THE FUTURE: Arozarena's speed and defensive versatility give him a chance to stick as a fourth outfielder. Whether he improves his approach will determine if he becomes more.
• November, 2016 Scouting Report
  One of the top players coming up in Cuba's junior national leagues, Arozarena was showing signs of breakout potential in Serie Nacional before he left Cuba and ended up in Mexico. Arozarena combines excellent athleticism with an advanced feel for hitting. He has a lean, lively frame with quick-twitch actions. He has fast hands and tracks pitches well, allowing him to let the ball travel deep, go with where the ball is pitched and use the whole field. His compact swing stays in the hitting zone a long time, which along with his hand-eye coordination and bat speed help him make contact at a high clip with a line-drive approach. Arozarena got into a slump during the 2014-15 season when his hips started to leak open early and his swing got choppy, but he was able to smooth that out by the end of the season. He has a keen batting eye, with the ability to lay off pitches outside the zone and hit breaking pitches that come across the plate. Arozarena also has plus speed and ranked second in Serie Nacional in stolen bases this past season. His swing isn't geared for loft, though he has sneaky power and could get to 10-15 home runs once he learns to turn on balls with more authority. Arozarena has the tools to play in the middle of the diamond, though where he ends up remains to be seen because he hasn't been seen much on defense. He has showcased in Mexico as a shortstop, and some scouts liked his chances to stick there because of his hands, internal clock and arm strength. He has played some center field and showed good range there at times, though his reads off the bat need work and he's prone to mental mistakes. Second base could be another fit. Wherever he plays, Arozarena is a potential leadoff hitter with his on-base skills who could start his career with a high Class A affiliate.