As Saturday begins, the Tampa Bay Rays are one of four teams within four games in the American League East. With their red-hot play, Tampa Bay sits just 1.5 games back at 42-34. Much of that success is due to their red-hot bats and speed on the bases.
The Rays rank fifth in all of Major League Baseball with a .256 average. The only American League team hitting better is the Houston Astros. Additionally, the Rays lead MLB with 101 stolen bases.
One of the few players in the lineup who is not stealing bases but is certainly getting on base and moving runners is Jonathan Aranda.
The left-handed hitter just turned 27 years old in May. Hailing from Mexico, Aranda stands 6’0″ tall and weighs 215 pounds. He was signed by the Rays as an international free agent in July 2015.
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June has been a standout month for the slugger. In 63 at-bats, he has collected 22 hits for a .349 batting average. In May, he hit .341, going 29-for-85. Coming into Saturday, Aranda is on a six-game hitting streak, during which he has garnered 10 hits in 23 at-bats.
His entire first full season in the big leagues has been an absolute success. Before this season, Aranda had just 333 total plate appearances. This season, he has already reached 274 plate appearances. In a limited time last season, Aranda hit just .234 with a .308 OBP and .738 OPS.
Boy, have those numbers improved. Aranda now boasts a .328 batting average, tying him for third in MLB with Freddie Freeman and Jeremy Pena, trailing only Aaron Judge and Jacob Wilson.
Aranda also holds a .416 OBP and .905 OPS, a significant increase from last season. While not known for massive power, he is driving in runs effectively. Aranda ranks fourth on the Rays with eight home runs and is tied for second on the team with 14 doubles. His 41 runs batted in are tied with Brandon Lowe for third on the team. Aranda has also scored 38 runs, placing him fourth on the team.
He is one of many Rays hitters who seemingly “came out of nowhere,” and there is no doubt Kevin Cash and his staff hope this success continues throughout the summer.
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