"I don't try to hit homers" - Luis Arraez sheds light on his batting approach, prioritizing contact over power at the plate
San Diego Padres leadoff hitter Luis Arraez had a fine 2024 season. Arriving from the Miami Marlins, the 27-year-old fit in perfectly in the Friars' offense and fought off competition from the likes of Shohei Ohtani to end the season in top spot for the NL batting title.
Speaking to MLB Network on Tuesday, Luis Arraez shed some light on his approach at the plate, which has helped him secure a third consecutive batting title.
"I just enjoy the game, I just wanna put the ball in play, get on base, score runs to win games. If I got bases loaded, I just wanna get my base hit, and [in process] we score two runs. I don't try to hit homers, I just try to get base hits," Arraez said.
The Venezuelan's unique style of hitting is quite unorthodox, and the fact that he only had four homers in the 2024 season while leading the pack for batting average further highlights that.
Capable of spraying the ball all over the field with almost machine-like uniformity, Arraez is nicknamed "La Regadera", which is Spanish for "The Sprinkler".
Luis Arraez serves as 2024 World Series correspondent
Three-time All-Star Luis Arraez of the San Diego Padres, was recently announced as one of the correspondents for the 2024 World Series.
As the Fall Classic went over to the Bronx, Arraez featured in the Los Mayores telecast, the Spanish coverage of MLB, as he conducted interviews with some of the players and coaches involved as they prepared for the third game of the World Series (via MLB).
As the Dodgers take a commanding 3-0 lead after three games, there may be a feeling among Padres' fans that it could very well have been the Friars playing in the Fall Classic instead.
Going off the last few games, the Los Angeles Dodgers look far and away the most well-rounded baseball team in the league at the moment. It was the Padres that gave them their biggest test in the postseason so far, even pushing them to the brink of elimination at one point.
Going into next season, it is not yet confirmed what changes are going to be made by the front office to improve the Padres' lineup and if Luis Arraez is even offered an extension at Petco Park, though he has expressed his desire to continue at San Diego.
If he does get his wish, Padres fans will be hoping to see Arraez at the World Series again come the 2025 season, but this time, to compete for the title.