How Marlins’ Luis Arraez is chasing .400 and MLB history
Miami Marlins’ Luis Arraez is quickly becoming the talk of the MLB as he makes an early run at the coveted mark of .400. After going 2-for-4 in the Marlins’ 6-1 win over the Kansas City Royals, Arraez is now boasting a .403 batting average, leading the Marlins’ hot streak with his fifth straight multi-hit game. The 26-year-old hit machine has 14 hits in his past 21 at-bats, with his exceptional performance becoming undeniable. According to ESPN, Arraez became the first player to have at least .400 after his team’s first 62 games since Chipper Jones had .421 with Atlanta in 2008 and just the sixth since 1950.
Arraez was the reigning American League batting champion, hitting .316 last season with Minnesota, where he debuted with a .334 average in 92 games in 2019. He was traded to Miami in exchange for Pablo Lopez in January, and Arraez’s presence has been felt throughout the National League. Both former Yankees, Kyle Higashioka and Gerrit Cole, are impressed with Arraez’s exceptional batting record and skill. Cole gave up a homer to Arraez last year in Minnesota and praised the left-handed swinger’s ability to “get his bat on the ball and place it. Wherever you pitch him, he can get to it.” Higashioka is similarly impressed, and while he had written it off as impossible in today’s league, he says that the fact that Arraez could achieve it exceeds any of his expectations.
FAQs
Who is Luis Arraez, and what has he achieved so far?
Luis Arraez is a second baseman for the Miami Marlins, setting an historic pace with his early-season batting average. After going 2-for-4 in the Marlins’ 6-1 win over the Kansas City Royals, Arraez boasts a .403 batting average and leads the Marlins’ hot streak with his fifth straight multi-hit game.
Has Luis Arraez achieved any milestones recently?
According to ESPN, Arraez became the first player to have at least .400 after his team’s first 62 games since Chipper Jones had .421 with Atlanta in 2008 and just the sixth since 1950.
Who are some of the notable players to have achieved a .400 batting average?
Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941, which was the last .400 season in MLB history. Kansas City’s George Brett was at .400 on Sept. 19, 1980, and finished the season at .390. Tony Gwynn was poised to chase the number in 1994, hitting .394 on Aug. 11 when the season came to an end due to the players’ strike.
What are some of Luis Arraez’s advanced metrics?
Some advanced metrics for the Marlins’ Luis Arraez are pretty pedestrian, with an average exit velocity of 88 mph and a hard-hit percentage of 22.2 percent, which ranks in the bottom two percent of the league. However, he has a Whiff Percentage of 6.8 percent, by far the lowest in the majors.
Marlins’ Luis Arraez Pursues .400 and Makes MLB History Along the Way
The Miami Marlins have turned their season around, winning six consecutive games with the help of their star hitter Luis Arraez. In Wednesday night’s match against the Kansas City Royals, Arraez went 2-for-4, bringing his season average up to .403 and marking his fifth consecutive multi-hit game. ESPN reports that Arraez is the first player since Chipper Jones in 2008 to be hitting .400 after his team’s first 62 games, and just the sixth player since 1950. Despite the buzz around his historic run, Arraez remains focused on the team’s success. The 26-year-old was traded to the Marlins in January, and has garnered attention for his exceptional bat-to-ball skills. Yankees players Kyle Higashioka and Gerrit Cole both praised Arraez’s abilities and expressed their hopes he will reach the elusive .400 mark. Although Arraez’s advanced metrics may appear pedestrian, his ability to make contact and avoid swings and misses sets him apart from other players.