There have been so many celebrations for Christian Arroyo.
Like when he was taken by the San Francisco Giants the first-round of the 2013 Major League Baseball draft. Or that first big-league call four years later. And then there was the chance to play for his hometown team in Tampa Bay.
This season, however, was supposed to be next-level.
First, Arroyo makes the 2021 Red Sox with an extraordinary spring training and then he lands himself as the team's starting second baseman while serving as one of the catalysts for the club's out-of-nowhere sprint to first-place.
But for every wave of excitement, a roadblock has seemingly been around the corner each time, with the 2021 campaign serving as a microcosm of Arroyo's existence.
Hit on the hand. Miss time. Hit on the hand again. Miss more time. Injure knee on a collision with centerfielder Kiké Hernandez. More time missed. A wet Yankee Stadium field leading to an injured hamstring. Sidelined, once more. And, finally, a case of COVID-19. So much for September.
"It has been difficult all year, but it's fine," Arroyo told WEEI.com. "This experience I have had this season is a microcosm of life. I have had a lot of time to reflect. I feel in everything you do you are going to get to that point and then something is going to knock you down. It's about checks and balances. For me, I was feeling really good, and obviously, I didn't want it to happen but you almost get humbled in a sense and then you pick right back up from where you are. You keep rolling. It's a great indicator of what you go through. I can literally sit here and tell you that this season has reminded me of a lot of what my life has been to this point, in a sense. It's just been one of those things where I have truly understood ... Just enjoy the moment. You're playing a game. Just enjoy the moment."
Sure enough, here comes Arroyo once again.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora proclaimed Monday that the 26-year-old would be the team's starting second baseman for its Wild Card showdown with the Yankees Tuesday night at Fenway Park.
The moments that have littered Arroyo's 57 games with the Red Sox this season - stretching from the timeliest of home runs, to superior defensive plays, to even his out-of-nowhere "Eurostep" home run trot - have become almost expected.
But are such expectations heading into the postseason too lofty? Thanks to the resurgent play of Jose Iglesias (who isn't eligible for the playoffs because he wasn't in the organization prior to Sept. 1), Arroyo has started just twice since July 18.
After that rainy night in New York sidetracked Arroyo's second half, he has managed a total of 11 plate appearances.
No matter. The gregarious infielder is ready for the biggest stage at the biggest time.
"I think everyone has these kind of moments," Arroyo explained. "Everyone goes through adversity. You can go through every single guy on that roster, at one point or another it's part of their story. Look J.D. Martinez. Look at Danny Santana. Look at Iggy (Jose Iglesias). You can go out there and look at (Alex) Verdugo. Literally, every guy here has something to their story. I think every player does. Guys have different paths and different ways that they get there and once you get there you're enjoying it.
"The thing is at the end of the day is that you're going to be a former player way, way longer than you are going to be a current player. So when you're a current player you have to make sure you really live in the moment and enjoy it. No matter what it is. The successes, the failures, all of it. That's just part of learning and that's part of growing. That's the kind of way I look at it.
"I have always looked at it that way. Because at the end of the day, I know for me I'm my own worst critic. There are times I'm playing well I'm still criticizing myself. My fiancé or my Mom are saying, 'Great game, today.' I'm like, 'Nah, that one at-bat ...' Whatever. The important thing is knowing yourself and being your own coach, but understanding everyone here is here to help you, which will help the team. It's clockwork. It's a bunch of gears to keep everything moving."
All of it now has led to Arroyo's biggest opportunity of them all.
It's a scenario that has been the light at the end of what has been a very convoluted tunnel.
"One hundred percent," Arroyo quickly responded when asked if all of this was going to lead to the happiest of endings.
"I think, yeah, when you're playing you always think about playing in the playoffs. I think about it. It's a new experience, so for me it's just about enjoying it. There is no point putting extra pressure on yourself. You're not going to do what you want to do if you're doing that. It's baseball. It's fun."