An Exploration Into Luis Arreaz
This is a new series for The J where we find complex talents in professional sports and come to an overall verdict. Please note that this series is all in good fun and The J does not intend to offend any players or fans, this is for entertainment. Still, we will try to give the full picture and back up our verdict with statistics.
Our first player is Luis Arreaz. Since his debut with Minnesota in 2019, Arreaz has been known as a complete hit to contact guy who generally holds an average above .300 and an OBP a bit shy of .400. Arreaz fully broke onto the scene in 2023 with his record breaking beginning with the Miami Marlins where he flirted with an above .400 average through June. He came back down to earth in the second half of the season but was still a crucial leadoff man for the playoff bound Marlins. Although the Marlins were knocked out in the wildcard by the red-hot Phillies and Arreaz’s bat was nowhere to be found, there is a lot to look forward to for Arreaz. Or is there? The 26 year old seems to have mastered getting bat on ball, but there is still a lot to be desired in Arreaz’s game.
Seems as though half of the league has left defense in the rear view mirror. So the way that defense is valued is constantly changing, often declining in importance. Arreaz’ -13 OAA (Outs above average) ranks in the last 1 percentile for defense in the MLB. Even though Arreaz has split time between second base and designated hitter his defense is by no means a plus. Still, as mentioned before, the league is moving away from defense and Arreaz may just be a product of it.
Let's dive into what Arreaz excels at; putting bat on ball. It’s simple really, as Barry Bonds described it, “It’s just like catching a ball, except with a bat instead of a glove.” Like Bonds and Ichiro before him, Arreaz excels at making contact in any situation possible. Can I interest you in a .400 avg vs Gerrit Cole? No? How about a .778 avg vs Cy Young frontrunner Blake Snell? Or even a .600 avg vs ghost fork specialist Kodai Senga? Point being, Arreaz can make contact with the best of them and has shown he can do it consistently.
Verdict: It is understood that Arreaz’s value lies in his pure contact approach rather than his power and defense. The stats don’t tell much of a different story either. It may be important to note that Arreaz is in the bottom third percentile of hard hit rate. Overall: Soft Contact merchant, but no doubt has a place as a top leadoff man in the MLB.
