Veteran hitter has ‘big growing year’ in Phillies system despite not making it back up to majors

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — As Christian Arroyo entered the 2023 season with the Boston Red Sox, he was no longer the “bright-eyed, bushy-tailed” newcomer surrounding stars like Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts in his first few prolonged tastes of big-league baseball. Instead, the infielder had a postseason run under his belt and was lined up to start at second base.

In his age-28 season, the former top prospect began to feel the expectations. He wanted to perform, thinking about his All-Star aspirations before ever establishing himself as a reliable regular. It was a lot for Arroyo to handle.

“I think in ’23 I had put so much pressure on myself to try to make the next step,” Arroyo said. “It was the first time I was a starter, first time I had been on an Opening Day roster in the starting lineup, and I don’t think I ever did a good job of just relishing that moment.”

Then, Arroyo dealt with injuries and didn’t produce when he was on the field. He batted .241 in 66 games for Boston that season and played only 37 games in the minor leagues with the Brewers in 2024. After two tough years, Arroyo signed with the Phillies for 2025, enjoying his go-around with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs despite never making it back up to the majors.

“From a mental side, I put a lot of pressure on myself. And then last year, I put a lot of pressure on myself still,” Arroyo said Thursday. “But this year, I just wanted to go out there and just play. Just have fun.”

Arroyo, 30, said Philadelphia provided him with his only offer this past offseason, and he signed a minor-league contract with the Phillies on Feb. 14. He admitted that earlier this year was “probably the very first time that I actually felt like maybe I wasn’t going to be given the opportunity to play again.” But then the Phillies came calling.

That chance to play sparked a new attitude for Arroyo. He took away all the pressure and decided he just wanted to compete and put his abilities to the test. After falling short in the race for the 26th roster spot in Philadelphia during spring training, he was assigned to Lehigh Valley, where he spent his 13th season in professional baseball.

“He’s a true veteran,” IronPigs manager Anthony Contreras said. “He keeps the clubhouse loose. He has a snarkiness about him that is very fun and keeps guys loose.”

Arroyo became a popular figure in the clubhouse at Coca-Cola Park, a personality who’s been around the block. He’d joke around with teammates and give pointers to younger players — usually with a sarcastic delivery. It’s a role he couldn’t have filled earlier in his career, but he’s grown into it well.

“I try to mess with everyone to keep it light,” Arroyo said, “just because it’s a lot harder to play good baseball when you’re tight and you’re overthinking.”

For Arroyo, some of the greatest joys of this season came when his new teammates received their first call-up. Starter Mick Abel found his footing with the IronPigs and pitched for the Phillies before he was traded to the Twins at the deadline. Pitcher Alan Rangel, a starter in Lehigh Valley, spent time as the long man in the bullpen in Philadelphia. Minor-league journeyman Rafael Lantigua was promoted to the majors for a quick stint earlier this week.

“To me, those are special moments,” Arroyo said, “especially as a player. Because I remember when I got the call and how elated I was. And then being around these guys day in, day out, getting to watch their development, watching them grow, their character grow and then watching them do their stuff, day in and day out, it was special to watch.”

While he did mention the possibility of getting into coaching when his playing days are over, that doesn’t mean Arroyo was solely a clubhouse asset. When he was able to play, he did so pretty well, entering Sunday’s IronPigs season finale with a .321/.392/.497 slash line in 44 games with Lehigh Valley and appearing at first base, second base and third base defensively. The problem, as it has been for much of his career, was that he could not stay healthy.

Arroyo spent three separate stints on the injured list this year with a minor hamstring strain, back stiffness and a bruised hand. Obviously, those circumstances were not ideal. But after consulting a mental-skills coach last winter, Arroyo shifted his mindset about this repeat issue.

“I don’t get frustrated; I try to get fascinated by it,” Arroyo said. “So this process this year has been, unfortunately, it’s been very similar to stuff I’ve dealt with in the past. But now that I kind of understand exactly what had happened this year, I have an idea of a road map of how I can prepare myself for next season.”

With a positive showing in his truncated season, the right-handed hitter shouldn’t have as much trouble securing a job in affiliated ball for 2026.

“He still can play the game at a high level and contribute,” Contreras said. “Preventing injury is his biggest thing. If he can stay healthy long enough, I think he still has a lot left in the tank to provide for a big-league club.”

It’ll remain to be seen whether he ever gets that chance again or not. Either way, this 2025 season will have helped Arroyo prepare for whatever’s next.

“This year was a big growing year for me,” Arroyo said, “not only as a player, but as a person and for my future.”