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Minnesota Twins: What’s next for rookie phenom Luis Arraez?

By Chris Schad

Luis Arraez of the Minnesota Twins (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
Luis Arraez of the Minnesota Twins (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – AUGUST 23: Luis Arraez #2 of the Minnesota Twins turns the double play on Jordy Mercer #7 of the Detroit Tigers in the fifth inning at Target Field on August 23, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Teams are wearing special color schemed uniforms with players choosing nicknames to display for Players’ Weekend. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – AUGUST 23: Luis Arraez #2 of the Minnesota Twins turns the double play on Jordy Mercer #7 of the Detroit Tigers in the fifth inning at Target Field on August 23, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Teams are wearing special color schemed uniforms with players choosing nicknames to display for Players’ Weekend. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images) /

Arraez needs to improve in the field

While Arraez made headlines for his offensive ability, his defense wasn’t the greatest. While he made some bad plays at his natural position of second base, his biggest value in the field was his versatility and by the end of the season, he was adequate at enough positions that the Twins were trying anything to find a way to get him in the lineup.

This may have been a good thing considering his performance at second base was solid if not spectacular. According to FanGraphs, Arraez’s UZR rating at second base was -5.0, but that would extrapolate to -22.6 over 150 games. With four errors at second base, this will be a concern if he fulfills the expectation that he will be the opening day second baseman in 2020, but he also adds depth at other positions.

When the Twins needed depth in an emergency situation in the outfield, Arraez did a solid job with a positive UZR/150 rating (3.6). While he also struggled mightily in a small sample size at shortstop, his best position on the diamond was at third base in relief of Miguel Sano, with a UZR/150 rating of 7.8 and no errors in 130 innings at the hot corner.

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