It is easy to ponder if the Jonathan Aranda that has been hitting the ball all over and out of Steinbrenner Field so far in 2025 is the same player Rays fans might have seen in 2024.

Unfortunately, instead of breaking camp with the team last year, Aranda broke a finger on his right hand during defensive drills at the team’s Port Charlotte spring training complex one week before the season began. After hitting .371 (13-for-35) during Grapefruit League play, it off was to the injured list instead of off to St. Pete for what would have been his first Opening Day as a big leaguer.

Aranda remained on the shelf for close to two months before making his season debut with the Rays in mid-May. After hitting .213 with a .607 OPS in 18 games, the left-handed hitter was sent to Triple-A Durham. Having returned to the parent club at the end of August, Aranda eventually warmed to the point of hitting .269 over his final 20 games to finish at .234 with a .737 OPS. He hit safely in eight straight at one point, and 12 of 13.

“I was able to be more aggressive, which has (carried over) to this year,” said the native of Tijuana, Mexico, who turns 27 on May 23, through interpreter Eddie Rodriguez when asked about the confidence a solid finish provided.

What a year 2025 has been to this point. Aranda played in 20 of the Rays’ first 22 games and was fourth in MLB in on base percentage (.438), fourth in slugging (.677), fourth in OPS (1.115) and fifth in batting (.355).

“I think it has been more of the chances and the opportunities that I have been given,” he said. “I have been putting in the work the past (few) years, and now just having the opportunity has been great, and it is showing.”

It sure is. There was no better example than his 10^th-inning walk-off homer against the Yankees in Tampa last Friday evening. Trailing 8-4 in the ninth, the Rays scored four times off Devin Williams to force extras. That was when Aranda launched a two-run homer off Yoendrys Gomez to give the home team a 10-8 win and send the Steinbrenner Field crowd into a frenzy.

“Showed a lot of confidence and patience, kind of a veteran at-bat,” said manager Kevin Cash, who noted the work Aranda has put in with hitting coach Chad Mottola and assistant hitting coach Brady North. “He didn’t go up there looking to come out of his shoes on the first pitch.”

The moment occurred a few innings after he and catcher Ben Rortvedt collided when going after a foul pop, and with a stunned Aranda fortunately emerging with nothing more than a couple of minor facial cuts. It also served as affirmation that perhaps Aranda, who made his MLB debut in 2022 and has 355 career at-bats, has finally arrived.

“I don’t feel like a rookie anymore,” he said. “I feel more mature, and it is showing.”

Improved Play at First Base

Aranda had quite a plate presence (1.047 OPS) playing for Yaquis de Obregon in the Mexican Pacific Winter League prior arriving for spring training. His primary purpose, though, was to hone his skills at first base with the idea Yandy Diaz would be given more reps at DH and less time on his feet at first.

“I went there to work more on my defense,” he said. “The hitting comes and goes, so I was more focused on my defense.”

The work has paid off. Aranda, who has played first base and second base throughout his career and has given Brandon Lowe a breather at the latter a few times this season, has snagged several scorchers and otherwise shown solid footwork around the first base bag while making only one error through 14 games at the position.

“I feel very confident,” he said. “Coming into (this season), I knew that defense was kind of my weakness. That’s why I worked on what I did while in the winter league, getting more reps and focusing on my defense.”