Can we just celebrate Luis Arraez for a moment?

[nicksaviking]

1 hour ago, Tim said:

Jorge Polanco career OPS - .779

Luis Arraez career OPS - .787

One of those hitters has never, ever, ever, been knocked for being a "banjo hitter"

Jorge Polanco has averaged 70 XBHs the last two full seasons. Banjo hitters are typically known as guys with little power and rarely find themselves further than 1B after their at bat, which still seems to describe Arraez. Rob Deer and his career .766 OPS certainly wasn't considered a banjo hitter.

But again, I was trying to celebrate Araez here.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

5 hours ago, PopRiveter said:

For the past several years, I have missed the baseball of my youth where batting .300 meant something to players and rallies consisted of a string of hits & walks. Back when we lauded Kirby for hitting bad balls hard.

The modern homerun/strikeout version of baseball surely produced some exciting moments, but for me it often felt like a game other than baseball. The great contact hitters seemed to be minimized/marginalized and that skillset became more and more rare. Players seemed happy to trade out 40 line-drive hits for 10 more home runs on the season.

This year is very different. The 2022 environment is now rewarding the great contact hitters. Multi-hit rallies are thing again. Scoring is not just based on walks and home runs anymore, and my guy Luis Arraez is a downright rockstar with a bat in his hands so far.

If you'd suggested before the season that Arraez should be the Twins regular starting 1st baseman I would not have agreed. Today, I'm 100% sold. His defensive limitations can hide there and his bat is special.

Among qualifiers, Arraez's .347 batting average is 3rd in the AL, his .446 OBP is 1st place in MLB. 

He's been remarkably consistent and it looks to me like his success has been influential on the plate approach of the team at large. 

I'm on my feet and clapping! 

I couldn't agree more. Thanks for this article, post, statement.  

[Tim]

26 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

Jorge Polanco has averaged 70 XBHs the last two full seasons. Banjo hitters are typically known as guys with little power and rarely find themselves further than 1B after their at bat, which still seems to describe Arraez. Rob Deer and his career .766 OPS certainly wasn't considered a banjo hitter.

But again, I was trying to celebrate Araez here.

i'm not really sure what this means or the point thats trying to be made here. But i do know if we are bringing something called "rob deer" from the 80s into this, i shouldn't hurt myself trying to figure it out.

[nicksaviking]

1 hour ago, Tim said:

i'm not really sure what this means or the point thats trying to be made here. But i do know if we are bringing something called "rob deer" from the 80s into this, i shouldn't hurt myself trying to figure it out.

A banjo hitter is someone who almost exclusively hits singles right? That was my only point.

[Thegrin]

I love Arraez.  Look at his On Base %! over 400.  He makes me smile every time he steps up to the plate.

[DocBauer]

Arraez is absolutely one of my favorite Twins players and so happy none of the projected trade ideas with him the past offseason happened. I don't think it's hubris at all to say he's the best pure "hitter" that I've seen in 20yrs since Boggs and Gwynn were playing. 

History shows us the value of the HR in regard to scoring. Power, specifically HR power, WINS. But BANKING on HR rather exclusively doesn't always work due to feast or famine, plus, too many solo HR aren't always a good thing. But team Power and HR remain an important part of the game.

However, in good baseball and good teams that WIN, your offense still need OB% and guys who can just HIT once in a while instead of only looking dead set for the HR. The hood news is we've actually seen the Twins just "hit" better in 2022, and Kepler is a prime example. I believe Lewis, when back up, will hit. Larnach, IMO, will hit. So will AK if and when he gets healthy. Just a short list/example. 

And then you have Arraez. One of the best pure hit and OB guys in baseball. And he's clutch! His power may still develop to some degree, but he never has to be a thumper to have value. I think he will hit a few more doubles and a few more HR as he matures, but that will only make him even more valuable as it happens. (His hard work to shed some bad weight and add good weight this past offseason will keep his knees and body more healthy, as well as potentially lead to a little more pop/power).

I believe his defensive shortcomings have been greatly exaggerated. He pretty much learned 3B and LF at 22yo AFTER reaching the ML. Same with his learning 1B on the fly this year. And while I've seen mistakes and errors, again, his general defense is solid at both 2B and 3B, and I've been very pleased how well he's picked up and adapted to 1B. And if you want to break him down or apart for his defense, go ahead. I know what my eye test has seen 3+ years and the good outweighs any bad, IMO.

You can make fun, if you want, but the term "gamer" used to be a compliment and not a ufemism to be made fun of because a manager used it too often. 

Arraez is a tremendous hitter, a young and important and versatile piece for the Twins now, and over the next few seasons as a dangerous presence in the lineup. And yep, the guy is a "gamer"!

[Rosterman]

If he could bunt and steal abses, he would be the "Second Coming of Rod Carew." Also, reminds me a lot of Cesar Tovar. Both fine players from my days as a kid watching the Twins!

[Riverbrian]

It's ok to pray at the alter of OPS. But while doing this let's not diminish the simple value of simply not making an out. 

Every extra guy that steps to the plate in the inning increases the odds of runs scored. Guys who don't make outs... gives everyone else's OPS a bigger bang for that buck. 

Arraez is big value for us. 

 

[cHawk]

Arraez has been a joy to watch this year. Hopefully he wins the batting title, that would be awesome.

[Blyleven2011]

Lock the major leaguer up ,,, bats like qwynn and hits like carew  ...

Love this little guy ,,, he plays the game right