The Tampa Bay Rays’ Randy Arozarena is the latest to join the July 10 Home Run Derby at Seattle, marking his first appearance in the All-Star week event.
Arozarena has 15 home runs with 57 RBIs in 80 games for the Rays this season, in addition to an. .885 OPS. The outfielder has 63 career home runs in 416 regular-season games, while also hitting 11 home runs in 31 career postseason games.
“I would love to go out there and put on a show in the derby,” Arozarena told reporters last week through an interpreter.
Arozarena was named a starting outfielder for the American League All-Star team on Thursday and the 2021 AL Rookie of the Year will be making his first All-Star appearance.
The 28-year-old will become the third Rays player to participate in the Home Run Derby after Evan Longoria in 2008 and Carlos Pena in 2009. Both Longoria and Pena were eliminated in the first round.
The Mariners’ Julio Rodriguez, the Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mookie Betts already have been named to the field, with four additional participants still to be announced.
–Field Level Media