Luis Arraez just different than past Miami Marlins hit kings

Plenty of accomplished hitters have worn the Miami Marlins uniform, but Luis Arraez stands apart from all of them.

Another Miami Marlins game, another multi-hit effort from Luis Arraez.

As for the Marlins themselves? Plenty of questions remain about what this team is, and can be by season’s end. As for Arraez himself? Seventy-three games in, and there’s really nothing left to say about Miami’s All-Star second baseman.

Right now, he’s the best hitter in baseball.

Best slugger? No. Best basestealer? Nope. Best fielder? Nada. But when it comes to putting the bat on the ball and putting it where they ain’t? To putting the ball in play and breaking the three true outcomes mold, which was kind of the whole point of all those rule changes we’ve read so much about? Arraez is just on another level at the moment.

Obviously, he’s the best hitter the Miami Marlins have had since Bruce Sherman bought the team in 2017. He certainly looks like he belongs on a short list of best hitters to ever wear a Marlins uniform. If not best, period, than at least in terms of a single-season sample size. However, in the aftermath of Monday’s 11-0 beatdown of the Toronto Blue Jays, I was surprised to find out that when it came to racking up hits, this technically isn’t the best start in team history.

As noted in the Jordan McPherson article cited above, that honor goes to Dee Strange-Gordon, who just needed 65 games to reach 100 hits in 2015. And in terms of season-long pace, Arraez is only five hits (so one game by 2023 Arraez standards) ahead of Juan Pierre’s club record pace of 221 in 2004. One Pierre record fell after last night’s latest five-hit outburst, as it was the Arraez’ third five-hit game of the season. Pierre did it twice in 2005.

I point all this out because Arraez has just looked, well, lightyears ahead of anything I’d recently seen on a baseball field. Gordon has scarcely come to my mind this season, Pierre only slightly more so. It’s been early aughts Ichiro, prime Coors Field-aided Larry Walker, and Tony Gwynn stories for me all season to this point when casting about for comps to what Miami Marlins fans have been witnessing night in and night out since March. Marlins wise, I simply thought Arraez was already far and away in his own tier.

I’d contend that he is. But how exactly does Arraez compare to those other Miami Marlins hit kings? Chiefly to Gordon and Pierre, but also to Luis Castillo and Hanley Ramirez?

In terms of batting average, he’s well ahead. Seventy-three games in, he’s hitting .400 on the season. Sarah Langs shared the list of MLB players to do that since 1941 last night. It’s a short list (10 names), and contains only one Marlin: Arraez. Gordon was batting .352 at this point in 2015. Pierre? Just .301 this far into his 221-hit season in 2004, and only hit .295 in that 2005 campaign where he had those two five-hit games. Castillo came much closer in 2000 when he entered game No. 73 hitting .365, and got as high .341 during his famed 35-game hitting streak in 2002. In Hanley’s batting title winning effort in 2009, he was just hitting .330 by this point, and would be at .366 as late as August 28th before finishing the year with at a club record .342 clip.

Presuming health, it’s fair to say at this point that Arraez finishing anywhere in the .340s would be a disappointment. Besting 1941 Ted Williams might still be a tad ambitious, but besting 2009 Ramirez? Feels like a lock.

Of course, some would say it’s a bit silly to focus so much on batting average in this Year Of Our Analytic Lord 2023, so let’s talk OBP and strikeouts. Presently, Arraez is leading the majors with a .450 OBP, and has only struck out 15 times. 

Gordon’s 2015 (.359 OBP/91 Ks), Pierre’s 2004 (.374 OBP/35 Ks), Ramirez’ 2009 (.410 OBP, 101 Ks), and Castillo’s 2000 (.418 OBP/86 Ks) all fall short. In some cases, dramatically. In zero cases has a Marlins hitter succeeded at doing both of things as well as Arraez is doing so far in 2023. Pierre is your best comp in terms of genuine surprise at striking out, Castillo when it comes to getting on base one way or the other.

If Arraez keeps this pace up, the only club records for reaching base he’ll fall short of are walks and OBP. Gary Sheffield walked 142 times in 1996, along with a ridiculous .465 OBP. But he also “only” hit .314 that season, and struck out 66 times.

Even if he does drop off though, barely beating .342 from Ramirez say, there’s the environmental context to consider. Because even with all the rule changes, hitting is still harder than it has ever been. In an age where striking out is still the most common outcome? Arraez continues to spit on pitch after pitch, baffling projections, frustrating pitchers, and delighting fans.

There have been more prolific hitters, more productive offensive forces for the Marlins. No question about it. In terms of just hitting though? For 73 games, Luis Arraez has looked like the best Miami Marlins player to ever do it. And it’s because he probably is.