Is Randy Arozarena Mexican? A closer look into his early life and eventual move to Mexico

Prior to the 2023 World Baseball Classic, many fans never gave a second thought to Randy Arozarena's country of origin. The Tampa Bay Rays outfielder was just assumed to be a Cuban exile.

Arozarena's national identity was revealed to millions during the fifth inning of the World Baseball Classic semifinals. Japanese star Kazuma Okamoto hit a ball deep to the warning track, only to have it snagged by Randy Arozarena, who then posed proudly in his Team Mexico jersey.

"RANDY AROZARENA BRINGS ONE BACK THIS MAN IS ON ANOTHER LEVEL" - Jared Carrabis

Arozarena was born in 1995 to an athletic Cuban family. His father was an established soccer goalkeeper who imparted athletic excellence on his sons. Arozarena's younger brother Raiko plays for the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USCL.

While Arozarena was indeed born and raised in Havana, the 28-year-old represents neither the USA or Cuba on the world stage. When Arozarena defected in 2016, he did not take the path to Miami traversed by thousands of his compatriots, instead opting to go to Mexico.

As per league policy, MLB teams cannot enter into talks with players unless they establish residence in a third-country. This is a by-product of America's six-decade embargo against Cuba.

When Arozarena arrived in Mexico, he began playing for the Toros de Tijuana before making the move to the Mayos de Navojoa for the 2016-17 winter league season.

Although the first MLB team to sign him was the St. Louis Cardinals, Arozarena settled into his own after a 2020 trade to the Tampa Bay Rays. He made it all the way to the 2020 World Series with the Rays and hit .274/.356/.549 with 20 home runs and 69 RBIs a year later, earning him the MVP of the ALCS.

In 2022, ahead of the World Baseball Classic, Arozarena took to Instagram to ask the President of Mexico to grant him citizenship so that he could represent his new home. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a known baseball fan, granted Arozarena's request and the Cuban became a Mexican citizen.

"Un acierto más para AMLO, ¡la naturalización de Randy Arozarena!" - Luis Castillo

Randy Arozarena has established himself as a hero of Mexican baseball

Although the MLB regular season is just around the corner, Mexican fans will not be able to push Arozarena's World Baseball Classic performance out of their minds very soon. Another terrific season to compound his WBC success could spell a big extension offer for Arozarena after this season.