Jun 10, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Miami Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez (3) celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Chicago White Sox during the ninth inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
MLB: Miami Marlins at Chicago White Sox
(Miami, Florida) — Talk about a contact hitter.
For the third time this season, Miami Marlins star infielder Luis Arraez went 5-5 at the plate, leading his team to an 11-0 thrashing of the Toronto Blue Jays Monday night.
With the spotless performance, Arraez has eclipsed a staggering .400 batting average, easily topping the charts of the major leagues. The last player to successfully maintain this statline for an entire season was the great Ted Williams over 80 years ago for the 1941 Boston Red Sox.
For his historic skill, Arraez is quite the modest batter. Of his 102 hits this season, only two have gone for home runs. The former Minnesota Twin does not boast hard contact rates like sluggers such as Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge, with exit velocity significantly below league average.
Despite his lack of raw power, in the words of Billy Beane in Moneyball, “he gets on base.” Arraez leads the league in on base (.450) and strikeout percentage (5.3%.) His unwavering consistency has been instrumental in the success of a team that has not had a winning record in a 162 game season since 2009.
The 26-year-old has led the Marlins to the third best record in the National League, now hot on the heels of the division-leading Atlanta Braves.
Arraez and the Marlins are seeking their first postseason appearance since the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
