ATLANTA – In the lifelong friendship betweenJonathan ArandaandAlejandro Kirk, it is Aranda who's theoretically the big brother. Born on May 23, 1998, Aranda came into this world nearly six months before Kirk followed. And they've been besties since Aranda, he says, "knew how to speak," while growing up in Tijuana. Yet in the winding path from the hardball fields of Mexico toMajor League Baseball, it was Kirk who arrived first in the big leagues, Kirk who stuck as a regular, won a Silver Slugger, made the All-Star team. So it was no small thing when Kirk and Alejandroreported to Truist Parkas teammates, two dreamers who all at once could claim the same honor: American League All-Star. They are putting on for their ballclubs, their families and perhaps most notably for Mexico, a land that gets overlooked when the Dominican Republic and Venezuela are so prolific at sending their sons onward to the big leagues. In this Midsummer Classic, though, there are four Mexican natives on the rosters: Aranda and Kirk, along with injured Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes andSeattle Marinerscloser Andrés Muñoz. Additionally, Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena earned Mexican citizenship in 2022, seven years after defecting from Cuba. It is no small thing, says Kirk. "Mucho. Mucho para el pais, para Mexico," he says, confirming how important it is for the country. And yet no two connections in this game come close to Kirk and Aranda, whose families have converged on Atlanta for the game. "I'm very happy to be here with him, my family, his family," says Kirk via Blue Jays translator Hector Lebron. "The year he's having right now is very special. I'm very happy for him." It's a nice bit of timing that both are peaking for clubs in the throes of the American League East race. Kirk, a catcher, was an All-Star in 2022, when he batted .285 with a .372 OBP and was worth 4.0 WAR, yet tailed off the next two seasons. In the meantime, Aranda failed in his first three bids to stick with Tampa Bay, never playing in more than 34 games before this season. Yet at 27, it has all clicked. Aranda has posted a .324/.399/.492 line, his .892 OPS good for a 151 adjusted OPS. He has 31 extra-base hits. Despite his modest 11 home runs, he's the best-performing first baseman in the AL. And it's even better joining a pal in the festivities. "It means a lot. He's my best friend since I was a kid," says Aranda through Rays translator Eddie Rodriguez. "It is something really amazing to share the diamond and playing with him here. "He was a great example. I know and I saw from up close, his path to make it to the major leagues." Aranda's journey has similarly inspired the Rays, whose plug-and-play ethos sometimes doesn't breed everyday players but rather platoon-oriented parts to a bigger machine. But Aranda has seized his role, his 358 plate appearances trailing only fellow All-Star Junior Caminero and veteran DH Yandy Diaz. His 2.9 WAR leads a team now 50-47 and 1 ½ games out of a wild card berth. "It's all the recognition that he deserves. He's finally up there on the national stage for what he's able to do," says Rays All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe. "As consistent as he's been all year, it's fantastic to really kind of show him off a bit – this is our guy." And for the more veteran Rays, Aranda's capabilities were probably more evident than the guy trying to stick for good. "Just the confidence in himself, man," says Lowe. "We all knew what he had; we've all seen it before. The big leagues is harder than the minors, believe it or not. It just took him a little bit to get going. "The biggest thing is him understanding and not faltering and stuck to who he was." He'll reap the benefits this week. Aranda will be joined in Atlanta by his parents, sisters, brother, brother-in-law and nieces. And above all, will represent his country. Aranda says it will be something "really good and amazing" to know he and Kirk's exploits will be beamed back home for a new generation. His buddy agrees. "First of all, you've got to be proud," says Kirk. "Proud to represent my country, Mexico, and a bunch of Mexican players in the All-Star Game. "We should all be proud of that." The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Alejandro Kirk, Jonathan Aranda put on for Mexico at MLB All-Star Game
