In 2015, Rays executives and scouts traveled to Tijuana, Mexico to get a better look at a player named Randy Arozarena, who had defected from Cuba and was working out with the Toros of Tijuana¡the Rays were unable to sign Randy due to MLB spending restrictions but saw Aranda in the same workout and later signed him for $130,000¡said Vice President, Assistant General Manager Carlos Rodriguez to the Tampa Bay Times: ¡°It¡¯s unbelievable, right? There¡¯s a saying¡ªyou¡¯re always dangerous at the ballpark. You may run into something, you may see something. Just by being around, you kind of run into some talent. And sometimes you get lucky.¡±...Jonathan got the call for his Major League debut late night after a seven-hour bus ride with Triple-A Durham¡he immediately called his parents, Humberto and Jessica, to share the news¡they had never seen him play in the minors, but made the trip from Mexico to St. Petersburg in time for his major league debut...He and Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk have been friends since they were three years old, and they played on the same youth teams together¡they took a photo together at Rogers Centre when Jonathan was active in September 2022...Jonathan and his wife, Milka Medrano, had a big offseason, getting married in Mexico before celebrating the birth of their first daughter, Regina Sofia...He helped Team Mexico to a semifinal run in his World Baseball Classic debut last year along with Rays teammates Randy Arozarena and Isaac Paredes¡¡±It was one of the best experiences of my life,¡± he told WFTS. ¡°It was magical. It was a tremendous experience.¡±
2023
Appeared in 34 games, including 23 starts (DH-10G, 1B-9G, 2B-2G, 3B-2G)¡had three stints with the Rays (July 8-11, July 14-17, Aug. 15-end of season)...Earned Triple-A Durham MVP honors for the second consecutive season after hitting .339/.449/.613 (121-for-357) with 23 2B, 25 HR, 81 RBI and 64 BB in 95 games for the Bulls¡his 1.062 OPS led all full-season minor leaguers...Hit .317 (13-for-41) vs. breaking/off-speed pitches compared to .152 (7-for-46) against fastballs...Batted .318 (14-for-44) with 4 2B, 2 HR and 11 RBI while playing a defensive position vs. 3-for-36 (.083) with 1 3B and 2 RBI as a designated hitter...On July 9 vs. ATL, recorded his first career multi-RBI game with a two-run double in the first inning...During his final stint with Durham from July 17¨CAug. 15, batted .330 (31-for-94) with 6 2B, 9 HR, 25 RBI and 14 BB¡hit .236 (17-for-72) with 6 XBH (2HR) and 11 RBI in 30 games with the Rays to conclude the season...On Aug. 19 (G1) at Angel Stadium, hit his first Major League home run since Sept. 22, 2022 vs. Toronto, extending his hitting streak to a season-high four games...On Sept. 5 vs. BOS, hit his first career triple¡became the first Ray since Sam Fuld on Aug. 10, 2011 vs. KC to have a triple and 3+ walks in the same game...Drew a career-high three walks on both Sept. 5 vs. BOS and Sept. 11 at MIN¡joined Yandy D¨ªaz as the only Rays with multiple 3+ walk games on the season...On Oct. 1 at TOR, recorded a first-inning RBI single before adding his first career grand slam in the following frame¡became the first Ray with...5+ RBI within the first two innings of a game since Carlos Pe?a (6) on April 13, 2009 vs. NYY¡the HR was the Rays 228th of the season, tying the club record set in 2017...The 6 RBI on Oct. 1 set a career-high and tied Isaac Paredes (June 9 vs. TEX) for the most by a Ray in 2023...marked his most RBI in any professional game, surpassing his five RBI on July 3, 2022 at Triple-A Charlotte...Ranked among International League leaders in OPS (1st, 1.062), SLG (1st, .613), AVG (2nd, .339) and OBP (2nd, .449)¡he ranked among all Rays farmhands in HR (fourth, 25), RBI (T4th, 81), walks (fifth, 64), total bases (fifth, 219), extra base hits (T7th, 48), hits (seventh, 121) and doubles (eighth, 23)...Named an International League All-Star and Baseball America Triple-A All-Star for the second straight season¡Baseball America also tabbed him as a First Team Minor League All-Star...Named International League Player of the Month for June after batting .448 (43-for-96) with nine 2B, nine HR and 24 RBI across 24 games....WBC: Made his World Baseball Classic debut and hit .167 (1-for-6) in three games during Team Mexico¡¯s semifinal run...POSTSEASON: Struck out as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning of Game 1 in the AL Wild Card Series vs. TEX, his first career postseason appearance.
2022
Appeared in 32 games and made 21 starts over three stints with the Rays, his first career Major League action¡was with the Rays from June 21-25, July 10-15 and Sept. 1 through season¡¯s end...Hit .145 (9-for-62) with two HR and four RBI in 25 games (17 starts) after his Sept. 1 recall¡ended the season in 0-for-26 and 3-for-45 slumps...On June 24 vs. PIT, started at second base in his Major League debut and hit a RBI single off Mitch Keller in the second inning¡became the 20th Ray all-time to hit safely in his first career plate appearance and first since Vidal Bruj¨¢n on July 7, 2021 vs. CLE (G1)¡became the sixth in club history with a run-scoring hit in the first at-bat of his debut, joining Bruj¨¢n, Brandon Guyer on May 6, 2011 at BAL, Elijah Dukes on April 2, 2007 at NYY, Jared Sandberg on Aug. 7, 2001 vs. NYY and Mickey Callaway on June 12, 1999 at MTL...On Sep.. 13 at TOR (G2), homered off Alek Manoah in the seventh inning and became the second player in franchise history to hit a go-ahead shot in the seventh inning (or later) for his first career homer¡ joined Bobby Smith on April 13, 1998 vs. MIN, a walk-off homer in the 14th inning in the 11th game of the Devil Rays inaugural season...On Sep. 22 vs. TOR, homered off Jos¨¦ Berr¨ªos in the first inning, the second homer of his career and first career leadoff homer¡became the seventh rookie in franchise history to hit a leadoff homer, joining Randy Arozarena (twice) in 2021, Brandon Lowe on May 7, 2019 vs. ARI, Desmond Jennings on Aug 28, 2011 at TOR, John Jaso (twice) in 2010, Akinori Iwamura (twice) in 2007 and Elijah Dukes (twice) in 2007...Won the International League Most Valuable Player Award, becoming the first member of Triple-A Durham to win it since Russ Canzler in 2011¡named MVP for Durham by the Rays Baseball Operations department¡hit .318/.394/.521 (128-for-403) with 26 2B, 18 HR and 85 RBI in 104 games with the Bulls¡ranked among league leaders in OPS (.915, first), avg. (second), on-base pct. (second), slugging pct. (fifth), hits (seventh), RBI (tied for seventh) and total bases (210, ninth)...Named the Rays Minor League Hitter of the Month for July, batting .391/.459/.703 (25-for-64) with eight 2B, four HR and 24 RBI in 16 games...Ranked by Baseball America as the No. 96 overall prospect in the Minors following the season¡ was the No. 6 prospect in the Rays system...POSTSEASON: Was on the roster for the AL Wild Card Series at CLE but did not play.
2021
Enjoyed a breakout season to win the Double-A South Most Valuable Player Award¡named MVP for Double-A Montgomery by the Rays Baseball Operations department¡led Double-A South with a .325 avg., .410 OBP and .540 SLG...Split the season between High-A Bowling Green and Montgomery, earning a June 1 promotion¡hit .331/.419/.543 (115-for-348) with 14 HR and 65 RBI in 102 games between the two levels...Named to the Double-A South postseason All-Star Team¡ranked sixth in the league with 58 RBI, 8th with 89 hits and 9th with 19 2B...Tied for third among Rays minor leaguers with five 3B¡ranked sixth with 73 runs and 115 hits and tied for sixth with 22 2B between the two levels...Named to the Rays Organizational All-Star Team by MLB.com...Ranked by Baseball America as the No. 20 prospect in the Rays system and No. 10 prospect in Double-A South following the season...Played for the Yaquis de Obregon in the Mexican Winter League for a fifth straight year¡hit .285 (33-for-116) with two HR and nine RBI in 41 games.
2020
In 2020, was not part of the Rays 60-man player pool and did not play following the cancellation of the minor league season.
2019
Split the 2019 season between Class-A Charlotte and Class-A Bowling Green, and played two games with the GCL Rays on a rehab assignment¡hit .272/.359/.383 (64-for-235) with three HR and 35 RBI...Missed two weeks in June (right wrist sprain).
2018
Split the 2018 season between Rookie-level Princeton and Short-A Hudson Valley, with an Aug. 25 promotion¡hit .269/.337/.391 (42-for-156) with one HR and 29 RBI in 45 games.
