It’s a tough time for the San Diego Padres! Not just because they lost by 10-4 to the Athletics, but also because of the loss of three team members in a short span of time. But there’s a shining light amid the darkness, and it is the Padres’ infielder, Luis Arraez. Arraez now becomes the only player to have the highest batting average for three seasons in a row. However, that didn’t stop him from confessing that he might have disappointed the umpires for raising voices against the bad calls in MLB. He spoke about the umpires ignoring him for calling out any bad calls during the last season. And it’s true! Even recently, the umpires are found to ignore his calls. But why?

In a candid moment during spring training at the Peoria Sports Complex, Arraez didn’t hold back, stating, “Last year, the umpires were terrible. Everybody knows that. The umpires call everything a strike. We want to walk too. But they don’t help us. They help the pitchers.” This critique stemmed from his observation that umpires were consistently expanding the strike zone, making it challenging for hitters like him to draw walks. However, his outspoken comments seemed to have repercussions.

It’s unexpected for a player like Arraez, known for his friendly demeanor, to experience such cold interactions from umpires. Their reluctance to engage with him seems to stem from his past remarks labeling their calls as “bad.” Expressing his disappointment, Arraez stated, “I don’t want to think that they’re mad at me,” he said. “They’re not perfect, just like I’m not perfect. I make errors and strike out. I just want to say sorry to them because they’re human just like me.”

But that cannot be a reason, as in MLB, there are times when the players often engage in verbal battles with the umpire, be it for some wrong call or anything else. Luis Arrarez made a good point, highlighting the fact that it’s normal to commit mistakes as human beings. Meanwhile, the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kevin Ace blamed Arrarez, calling him too talkative. He was often found talking with the opponent players and even raising his voice whenever the umpires called the game behind the home plate. Arrarez feels sorry for them in case he made some harsh calls, which might not have happened.

However, their ignorance never really had an impact on his performance or in the form of any biased calls against him when he was at the plate. That makes him believe that the umpires think of him as a good person and a good hitter. While the debates surrounding who is at fault—Luis Arraez or the umpires—will continue forever, the 28-year-old’s first strikeout has garnered the attention of many. 

Padres $14M Star’s first strikeout this season

Celebrating his 28th birthday, Luis Arraez continued to showcase his exceptional hitting prowess, having led the league in batting average for three consecutive seasons with different teams. Remarkably, he began this season with a streak of 53 plate appearances without a strikeout. This impressive run concluded in the ninth inning of the Padres’ 2-1 victory over the Athletics.

Luis Arraez was facing the pitcher, Justin Sterner, when he managed to fall behind 0-2. He smashed a ball that was recorded as a foul, which could have turned into a two-run home run with a little bit of wind helping its movement. But right after he made it 1-2, there was a “nasty” pitch delivered by Sterner, and that was it. It was the wrong way to swing by Arrarez, and the ball hit his leg, thus negating the hit-by-pitch and resulting in his first strikeout of the season.

There’s no faulting Arraez for that strikeout—it was a well-executed pitch. While it’s possible we’ll see more strikeouts this season, pitchers will need to be at their absolute best to get him out. What do you think?