Arraez Providing Spark the Marlins Desperately Needed
Luis Arraez, acquired from the Minnesota Twins this offseason, has enjoyed a historic season for the Miami Marlins (Photo by Jasen Vinlove, USA Today Sports)
The Miami Marlins have always been a team unable to break through. Despite consistently being one of the better pitching teams in baseball, headlined by Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara, their offense couldn’t carry their end of the load.
However, in 2023, the team has started its long-awaited revival. Their young starters are showing signs of promise, despite a regression by Alcantara, and their offense has improved significantly. The main reason for the latter’s success is the acquisition of last year’s American League Batting Champion: Luis Arraez.
The Marlins acquired Arraez from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for starting pitcher Pablo Lopez and prospects Jose Salas and Byron Chourio. For Miami it was a gamble as Lopez was a dependable foil to Alcantara. However, acquiring Arraez has more than paid off on all front.
Arraez is batting an unprecedented .402, a number that’s almost unheard of in June. While he’s only homered once, he has driven in 30 runs with an on plate percentage (OPS) of .943.
With Arraez in their lineup, the Marlins’ offense has started to produce more frequently (Photo by Marta Lavandier, AP)
Alongside Arraez, several bats are beginning to return to form. Jorge Soler is starting to hit for power again, notching 17 homers to pass his total from last season, outfielders Bryan De La Cruz and Jesús Sanchez have broken out, and Garrett Cooper and Joey Wendle have complemented them nicely. With the offense beginning to find form, the Marlins are in their strongest position in a while.
After 65 games last year, the Marlins were 29-36, 13 games back of first place in the NL East. However, they now sit at 36-29, only 4.5 games back of first. At the plate, the Marlins scored only 586 runs all of last season, but in 2023 they have 255 so far, putting them at a pace to score about 645 runs total in 2023.
Arraez’s numbers are also on pace to break various Marlins records. His 162 game pace for hits is 243, a number which can break Juan Pierre’s single season record. His strong performance also has Manny Ramirez’s batting average record of .342 well within reach as well. Fans are putting him on Ted Williams watch, as he can be the first player since the Splendid Splinter to hit over .400 in a campaign.
While it is unlikely Arraez will sustain a .400 mark until October, the fact that it’s even in the realm of possibility is very impressive. His efforts have brought the Marlins closer to contending status, and the team is eager to make some noise this summer.
