Jonathan Aranda

Jonathan Alexander Aranda Ventura

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 210 lb.

• Debut June 24, 2022

• Born May 23, 1998, in Tijuana, Baja California MEX

BR page

Biographical Information

Jonathan Aranda was signed as an international amateur free agent by the Tampa Bay Rays on July 2, 2015. He began his professional career in the Dominican Summer League in 2016 but did not play as many as 100 games in a season until 2021. That included losing the entire 2020 season to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was a good hitter for average in those early years, but did not show much power, woth only 5 homers between 2016 and 2021. He was mainly a second baseman and third baseman during that time.

He reached the majors in 2022 after starting the season in AAA for the first time with the Durham Bulls of the International League. He had a breakout season there, hitting .318 with 18 homers and 85 RBIs in 104 games. After the season, he was named the Player of the Year in the IL, in addition to being a AAA All-Star, a league All-Star, and an organization All-Star. He only appeared in 32 games for Tampa Bay, hitting .192. In spite of his limited major league experience, he was with the Mexican national team at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, but also spent the bulk of the 2023 season with Durham, hitting .339 in 95 games with 25 homers and 81 RBIs. He was again a postseason All-Star in the International League and a AAA All-Star, but hit just .230 in 34 games in the majors.

2024 was an important season for Jonathan, as he had nothing left to prove in the minors but needed to show he could translate his success there to the Show. However, the results were still uneven: not only did he continue to struggle in the majors, hitting .234 in 44 games, but he failed to produce in AAA as well, batting .237 in 32 games. However, he showed some flashes of power late in the major league season, hitting 6 homers in just 128 at-b ats, so his OPS+ was at 109. By then his main position was first base, and that's were he was at the start of the 2025 season. He finally produced as expected with a great first half, during which he hit .324 in 91 games, with 11 homers and 49 RBIs. That got him named to the All-Star team for the first time, but he went on the injured list on August 1st with a fracture of his left wrist, and was unable to return until the final week of the season, returning to action on September 26th. He homered in each of his first two games back, showing the Rays how much they had missed in his absence. He finished the season at .316 with 14 homers and 59 RBIs in 106 games, for an OPS+ of 146. He would have finished second in the American League batting title race had he had enough plate appearances to qualify.

Notable Achievements

• 2023 Player of the Year International League Durham Bulls
• AL All-Star (2025)

Related Sites

• Jonathan Aranda on mlb.com