Could Luis Arraez Win His Fourth Batting Title with His Fourth Different Team?

 

Yesterday, infielder Luis Arraez signed a 1-year contract with the San Francisco Giants for $12 million.

The Giants are the Venezuelan born infielder's fourth big league stop. Arraez previously played with the Minnesota Twins, Miami Marlins and the San Diego Padres.

With each of these teams, Arraez won a batting title. In fact, Arraez won three consecutive batting titles. In 2022, Arraez won the AL batting title hitting .316. Following that season, the Twins traded Arraez to the Miami Marlins in a deal which included starting pitcher Pablo Lopez. Arraez then hit a career high .354 in 2023 to win his second consecutive batting title and first NL batting crown.

Just over a month into the 2024 season, the Marlins dealt Arraez to the San Diego Padres in exchange for four players including Jakob Marsee who is now the Marlins' centerfielder. Arraez won his third consecutive batting title and back-to-back NL batting crowns hitting .314 while leading the NL with 200 hits.

In 2025, Arraez again led the NL in hits with 181 but his average fell to .292 although that was good enough to rank 4th in the NL as Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner was the only .300 hitter in the Senior Circuit winning his second NL batting title with a .304 mark. The NL came dangerously close to having a batting champion with a sub-.300 average.

What is fascinating to me is that Arraez is so well-travelled. You would think three batting titles would make one a fixture in someone's lineup a la Ty Cobb, Stan Musial, Rod Carew, Wade Boggs or Tony Gwynn. Alas, Arraez is viewed as a liability for not having sufficient power, drawing few walks and subpar defensive skills despite his three batting titles and rarely striking out. Evidently, MLB frowns upon contact hitters.

So even if Arraez wins his fourth batting title with the Giants, he will likely be on the move albeit with a lucrative free agent contract although that could be jeopardized by a lockout of the 2027 season when the present MLB collective bargaining agreement expires at the end of this year.

Have perennial batting champion will travel.