On Tuesday, April 11, 2023, Luis Arraez accomplished something never before achieved in the franchise history of the Miami Marlins.
2B Luis Arraez hit for the cycle on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies in an 8-4 victory for the Miami Marlins. After winning the American League batting title with the Minnesota Twins last season, Arraez is already proving effective as part of a contact-heavy lineup. But what is the significance for such a milestone? Let’s take a more expansive look at this…
Luis Arraez: Constant .300 Hitter
After starting out with the Twins, Arraez immediately showed signs of being a great contact hitter. Today, most of the batters usually hit for power and/or strike out a lot. Arraez is different in his more small-ball style of hitting. In fact, according to CBS Sports, prior to Tuesday, the second baseman had only hit a combined 22 triples and home runs in his career (400 games played). He came into the game with an early batting average mark of .500 and would finish 4-for-5.
Of course, Arraez will not sustain getting a hit every other at bat. But there is a very good chance he wins another batting title. He led the AL with a .316 average last year and can certainly surpass that this time around. It is safe to say that the Venezuelan has transitioned smoothly to South Florida
Stats Don’t Always Tell the Story
Arraez is not someone necessarily known for his power. He’s more of the garden-variety singles hitter, with some occasional doubles pop. But don’t let that deceive you. On any given night, he can be capable of hitting with some serious power. Tuesday, his order of hits were rather unusual. He started with a double in the first inning off of SP Aaron Nola and then tripled against Nola in the top of the sixth. Arraez hit a solo home run off of RP Connor Brogdon in the seventh, and finally singled in the eighth against RP Andrew Bellatti. The single would also bring home the Marlins’ final run of the game in OF Jazz Chisholm.
Significance of Cycle
Now, hitting for the cycle is not an accomplishment to be taken lightly. It’s not something that happens all that frequently. Fittingly enough, the last cycle was accomplished by St. Louis Cardinals star 3B Nolan Arenado against none other than the Phillies back on July 1 of last season. All told, players hit five cycles in 2022, four in 2021, and six in 2019. And Arraez is the first for the Marlins in their 31-year history. Not only that, but now every team has at least one player that has hit for the cycle. The Marlins are one of the younger franchises, but it is still shocking that no one in team history had racked up a single, double, triple, and home run in one game before.
Total Cycles and Arraez Early Season Success
With the accomplishment, Arraez accomplished the 340th cycle in MLB history since cycles were first tracked in 1882. And Arraez is proving to be true to his batting champion form of last season. The second baseman has 23 hits in 46 plate appearances, equaling an even .500 batting average. The 23 hits put Arraez in a three-way tie for the lead in the Majors, while the .500 clip unsurprisingly leads all hitters.
Benefits for the Marlins and the Family
While the Fish may be holding a below-.500 record, there is certainly no reason to blame Arraez. Despite trading away pitcher Pablo Lopez, the offense looks to have a new spark plug. And the Venezuela native is very grateful to be successful for his new squad. “I had a lot of people who helped me work hard every day,” he told Kevin Cooney of the Associated Press. “I want to give this to my family and my wife, who is expecting our baby.”
The Excitement Surrounding Luis Arraez
Already, it seems like the change of scenery is proving fruitful for Arraez. He’s one of the early front-runners for the National League batting title, and he would join a very elite few who can accomplish that feat in both leagues. Arraez, if he can keep up his torrid pace, would join 2B DJ LeMahieu (2016 with the Colorado Rockies, 2020 with the New York Yankees) and Hall of Famers OF Ed Delahanty (1899 with the Phillies, 1902 with the AL’s Washington Senators) and OF Pete Browning (1882/1885 American Association Louisville Eclipse and 1890 Players’ League Cleveland Infants).
Value of Arraez
In addition, Arraez can be an everyday guy who can also play as a utility man. He leans more toward second base, but he can also cover either corner or even a little bit of outfield. His versatility will make a key piece toward the Marlins’ aspirations in the 2023 season. Early on, the dividends are providing many happy returns. He is currently first in WAR with 1.2.
Final Thoughts
To hit for the cycle is not something people will see every day. And for Luis Arraez, he’s not someone they would expect to pop off a big game like that. But in 2023, sometimes even the unexpected player can provide the most pleasant surprises. Arraez will look to supercharge the Marlins’ offense as the guy who gets everything off and going. If he can stay hot, the Fish will be a tough team to deal with later on this season. But of course, only time will tell which way Arraez and the Marlins will trend.
All stats are through Wednesday, April 12.
