In the past three MLB seasons, Luis Arraez achieved an unprecedented feat: securing batting titles with three different teams consecutively. Starting with the Minnesota Twins in 2022, then the Miami Marlins in 2023, and most recently with the San Diego Padres in 2024, Arraez showcased consistent excellence at the plate. Despite this historic achievement, questions arise about whether he receives the recognition he deserves in an era dominated by analytics and power hitting.

As of late April 2025, Arraez is batting .287 with an OPS of .755, contributing significantly to the Padres’ 17-10 start, placing Padres second in the NL West standings. His consistent ability to get on base and set the tone for the lineup underscores his value, even if traditional power metrics don’t fully capture his impact.

Chandler Simpson, a top prospect known for his speed in the Tampa Bay Rays, has expressed admiration for Arraez’s approach at the plate. In an interview with USA TODAY Sports, Simpson mentioned ,“I’ve studied Luis Arraez, his hitting drills, what he does in the off-season, all of his hitting mechanics to be a better hitter.’’ He further adds, “I feel like (Arraez) definitely doesn’t get the recognition that he deserves, winning three batting titles in a row with three different teams.” Simpson clearly sees immense value here.

Why does a speedy prospect like Simpson hold Arraez in such high regard? It probably comes from Arraez perfecting a skillset that seems to be almost underappreciated across the big leagues. Arraez hardly ever misses, as evidenced by his MLB low 4.3% strikeout rate in 2024. He focuses purely on contact and getting on base. Simpson himself says he doesn’t have home run power. For players who aren’t built to hit tape-measure home runs, Arraez offers a successful template. He shows you can thrive by consistently putting the bat on the ball.

Why Padres star stands out

Simpson’s words are effectively shining a light on Arraez’s status as a ‘throwback hitter’ in a power-hungry era. Arraez is the personification of bat-to-ball skills, spraying hits all over the field like his nickname suggests. His career .322 batting average speaks volumes about his consistency. Even more impressively, he has one of the lowest career strikeout rates in recent MLB history. His elite avoidance of strikeouts led him to become the first MLB player since Jason Kendall in 2002 to strike out fewer than 30 times while accumulating over 600 plate appearances. Further illustrating his hand-eye coordination, his 2022 season featured league-leading contact rates: 94.1% on all pitches swung at, 91.1% on pitches outside the strike zone, and 96.0% on pitches inside the zone.

Naturally, this classic style invites comparisons to Hall of Fame hitters Tony Gwynn and Rod Carew. Like those Hall of Famers, Arraez has outstanding bat control and allows the ball to travel deep. He also does a good job taking the ball the other way. Appropriately, the batting title trophies Arraez won bear the names of Carew (AL) and Gwynn (NL). While matching their career totals is obviously a tall order, the stylistic comparison isn’t that illogical. Arraez continues a timeless hitting style alive and well today.

So, if Arraez hits like past legends, why is the a perceived lack of universal acclaim? Modern analytics, particularly Wins Above Replacement (WAR), offer one explanation. WAR measures total contribution – offense, defense, and baserunning. Arraez has a considerably lower WAR than the other three-straight-batting-title players. His 10.1 WAR from 2022-24 also lags behind the icons like Ty Cobb (31.1) and Rod Carew (22.3). Subpar defensive metrics and limited power and speed heavily impact this analytical view.

At the end of the day, Luis Arreaz is an interesting player in today’s game. His three batting titles with three teams are historic, no matter how many WARs you calculate. His placement in the MVP voting (eighth in 2023, T-18th in 2024) does support Simpson’s feeling about recognition lagging behind performance. Arraez proves elite contact hitting still plays, even if modern metrics struggle to fully capture its value. How should baseball weigh its traditional benchmarks relative to comprehensive analytics when it comes to evaluating a unique talent like Arraez?