Though just a rookie, Luis Arraez has been dominant at the plate, expect that to continue no matter where he’s at on the field or in the lineup for the Minnesota Twins.
Only 22 years of age, Luis Arraez should be around the MLB, hopefully with the Minnesota Twins, for quite some time. I’d love to watch his old-school and scrappy style of baseball any day for the Twinkies.
I touched on it briefly earlier this year in his prospect profile but Luis can flat-out hit. Regardless of what level or team Arraez is playing for, his ability to spray line-drives all over the field is pretty remarkable. Never having below a batting average of .300 at any level in the minor-leagues, Arraez is the most consistent hitter for the Twins.
Not exactly a small feat considering how powerful the lineup is from top to bottom this year. With guys like Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco, and Nelson Cruz in the lineup, its wild to think Arraez can be considered one of the top hitters.
While he may never be the modern power-hitter the MLB has seen a lot of lately, he is the epitome of a Minnesota Twins positional player. He makes the pitchers work and he gets on base. He does the little things right and that’s what stands out the most. So far this year, Luis has 202 plate appearances and an average of .350 with only 14 strikeouts. Incredible right?
He only has 9 doubles, 1 triple, and 2 homers on the year. Not a ton of pop but an outstanding ability to hit it away from the defense and keep the ball on a line or on the ground. While he may not have outstanding arm strength or be the flashiest player on the field, he has only made 2 errors in over 200 innings of work. So far this year, he has played multiple outfield positions as well as 2nd, 3rd, and SS, while even seeing some time at DH.
I’ve always been coached and told throughout my entire life that as long as you can hit, they’ll find a place for you in the lineup. Though Arraez is far from your typical designated hitter, he gets on base and scores runs. Being able to get on base is something that has been extremely valuable to a team that hits as many homers as this years Twins team.
Though many have been solo shots, that doesn’t mean Luis doesn’t get on base. His .421 on base percentage is the second highest on the team. Only LaMonte Wade Jr. is higher than Luis and he has an OBP of .500 with only 4 PAs.
Pretty impressive stuff from the rookie who will hopefully be a big part of the future for the Minnesota Twins. Having a guy like Luis at the top of the order next year could set the table nicely for the bomba squad.