Luis Arraez wrapped up yet another stellar season at the plate on Sunday, going 1 for 3 to secure his third straight batting title, preventing Shohei Ohtani from winning the NL triple crown in the process.
Arraez, who previously won an AL batting title with Minnesota in 2022, and an NL title with the Marlins last season, finished with a .314 average, narrowly edging out Ohtani for first in the National League. The mark represents the lowest batting title average since Tony Gwynn’s record low .313 average back in 1988.
What makes the feat all the more impressive however, is that Arraez managed to capture 3 straight titles, with three different teams.
A sixth inning double against Arizona helped the Venezuelan native reach the 200 hit mark for the second straight season before he was ultimately lifted for a defensive replacement in the bottom half of the frame. In doing so, he became the first NL player since Juan Pierre in 2003-04 to have back to back 200+ hit campaigns.
Having only struck out 3 times since August 10th, and 29 times total across 637 at bats this season, Arraez has gained a reputation for being one of the best contact hitters in all of baseball. Few will mistake him for a power hitter, having put together only 4 home runes, and 32 doubles all year, but he remains a tough out for opposing pitchers.
That being said, while MLB fans, and even the league’s social media account, were quick to congratulate the Padres’ infielder on the feat, he’s technically not out of the woods quite yet. With Atlanta and New York having a Monday afternoon doubleheader to determine the final NL playoff spots, there’s a highly unlikely chance that Braves DH Marcell Ozuna could still surpass Arraez.
If Ozuna were to put together the series of his life, and go 9 for 9 at the plate, then he would eclipse the 27 year old by the slimmest of margins.
On the American League side of things, Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. cruised the to AL batting title, hitting .332, with 32 HRs, 109 RBIs, 125 runs scored, while swiping 31 bases for good measure.
The 2024 MLB regular season officially wraps up Monday, following the conclusion of the Mets vs. Braves double-header.
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