How Good is Luis Arraez ACTUALLY?

[@Luke.Cooking]

My goodness, u have the golden voice

[@Cornwall1298]

The interesting thing with the potential Yankees trade for Arraez - is that it just seems utterly antithetical to what the Yankees are looking at doing this offseason. Losing out on Soto, the shift was to fixing issues with the 2024 team - baserunning and defense. Trading for Arraez makes no sense with that ethos.

[@chuco6010]

Bro struck out less than 30 times in nearly 700 PLATE APPEARANCES! That is pretty damn valuable in my mind. Teams just don’t use him correctly, he should be batting 3rd not 1st

[@JackGeezy]

Lol RBI singles

[@baseballworldwide9439]

@@JackGeezylol you never played

[@baseballworldwide9439]

It’s also immensely valuable for the entertainment aspect of the game. You can’t tell me people wouldn’t rather watch players make more contact and have constant action compared to 15 strikeouts and a couple homers. It’s boring. We need more players like arraez

[@JackGeezy]

@@baseballworldwide9439 So he has 2 guys on base, RBI single got it smh

[@JackGeezy]

@@baseballworldwide9439 I don't think you understand the concept of baseball 🤣🤣🤡🤡

[@baseballworldwide9439]

The problem is that so many are incapable of looking beyond the numbers to see the intangibles. I say this as a young fan, not some boomer yearning for the good ole days or whatever. Being able to make contact is valuable for reasons beyond just getting on base. For example, in a scenario in the bottom of the 9th with the tying run at 3rd and 2 outs, do you want a slugger who hits .220 at the plate and strikes out a lot? Or do you want a guy like arraez? Is there a stat for that? It’s also good for the game from an entertainment perspective to have guys that put the ball in play a lot compared to striking out multiple times a night. It makes for a more exciting game, and I’d love for someone to challenge this assertion. It’s self-evident. I can keep going if anyone is interested, but I’m assuming nobody is going to read this since the video is a few days old now

[@TheHappyWhale]

It's true that you probably do want Arraez up in the specific situation you mentioned (in most cases), but that is not what WAR or analytics are meant to measure. It isn't, "who is better at this AB," it's "who is providing more value to a team over the course of an entire season." I could argue that instead of having Arraez up in that situation, I could have a guy like Kyle Schwarber. He is only a .250 avg batter but his OBP is 20 points higher than Arraez and he hit 38 HR last year, so numbers-wise, wouldn't he be a better option? If it is the case that you want still Arraez up in this scenario, wouldn't it make more sense to have him pinch hit so you could guarantee it? It's not like he's providing any defense. Stepping back from that specific scenario, what does Arraez do besides hit for average? No power, negative defender (at a premium power position), not very speedy, and has good, but not great, on base percentage. What intangibles does he bring? He isn't drawling a ton of walks or stealing many bases. If I'm a pitcher, I know I can just attack Arraez in the zone because he isn't a power threat, so he isn't that effective at driving up pitch count. It sounds like I'm hating on the guy, but I'm not trying too. I agree that he is very fun to watch because he is a novelty in today's game. Guys don't really hit for average anymore so it's fun to see someone who does. That being said, I don't think it's wrong to point out that he is a one-tool player that, while deserving of being a major leaguer, is not particularly valuable to a team's success.

[@ooo_Kim_Chi_ooo]

Problem is he doesn't hit extra base hits, hes a terrible baserunner, and his defense is league worse. You can hit singles all you want but it doesn't mean a thing if you can't score and you're costing your team runs elsewhere.

[@cococock2418]

What intangibles? He is a completely one dimensional player, and that one dimension he has is one that isn’t even the best dimension to have. You can list these ridiculous situations that never happen all you want. Nothing fun at all about watching weak, powerless hitters, especially at a lower position like 1b

[@KOCChristian]

It’s team sport why nerds like me aren’t coaches. It knowing skill and player in success. Lead off hitter is often balance hitter and 3-4 hitter are power bat who can drive runs. People need stop the bashing and understand it’s a team sport

[@misterdarwin]

100% agree that contact and average have value. However, so do patience, baserunning, catching, throwing, and power. A player who is only good at one of those things is likely hurting the team more than helping. In the case of the Yankees (who reportedly are interested in trading for him), their poor infield defense and poor baserunning were an achilles heel last season. They can make do with less power and patience from Arraez because the rest of the lineup tends to bring that to the game, but I am not sure they can afford another bad defender at second or a singles hitter who goes station to station.

[@verbalkint5450]

I'm old enough to remember Rod Carew, also a former Twin. Hit more than 11 homers once, but in 19 seasons averaged .328. He was held in great esteem, probably too much since he, like Arraz, hit few extra base hits, and drove in few RBI's, for 1bman.. Also started as a 2b man. Was living in SoCal, as he played several years as a Halo, which probably shouldn't have been as a starter, up to age 39.

[@schlootle]

Arraez has only had maybe 1 bad season. Over 2021, 2022 and 2023 he put together 12.5 WAR. And surprisingly his only -dWAR season aside from his rookie year was 2024. He had a down year, but he is extremely valuable as a player

[@Arminian100]

I think this is the start of a correct, nuanced take. The swing level data is important. I think Arraez was hampered by injuries in 24 and it should be seen as an outlier in that regard and provide hope he can be more valuable on the bases and fielding in the future, and provide a touch more pop. However, his approach has gotten much worse and will hurt his value long term if he doesn't fix it. He swings at far too many bad pitches, ultimately trading walks for bad contact. That's a recipe for disaster long term. He has to fix it.

[@schlootle]

@Arminian100 i agree with that. We all know he basically has a net neutral glove and cannot steal bases. I also agree his big flaw is that he never draws walks. If he had even a league average walk rate then his OBP would be sitting at around .400~. I just hate to see everyone and their momma dogging on Arraez for having a down year. I would also make the claim that he was never overrated. We all know exactly what to expect from him

[@KOCChristian]

Honestly he’s playing for Padres, remember Soto was terrible left and now paid 750million

[@schlootle]

@KOCChristian Eh, I wouldn't call Soto's stint in San Diego terrible. He had career average numbers in 2023, and it's hard to value 1/3rd of the season after a trade in 2022. He definitely ate his Wheaties with the Yankees though

[@tourpS]

San Diego loves Arraez and he did pretty well considering he had thumb ligament issues throughout the year. You could visibly see him wince in pain when he made contact. Horrid defense too, with a terrible stretch at first base. I hope we trade him away so the Padres can re-sign Profar or something lol. This is a cool channel, I will subscribe. Please make more videos if you can!

[@Arminian100]

He seems like a super likable guy. Everyone fan base he has played for loves him. Teammates speak sky high about him. I also think his thumb is a good explainer for part of his drop in production this year. But his approach has really gone to shit. 😊

[@RuBiCaNT5X]

Perfectly summed up. Amazing batting talent. Horrible on the other side of the ball. Would be a perfect fit for NYY if we didn't have Stanton at DH.

[@koiturnbull5700]

Can you break down JEFF MCNEIL!!!?????? I think he’s one of the greatest hitters and has had the most dissappointing two seasons. Please break him down

[@stevenmostyn4681]

Please think of this he got those numbers while injured for 4 months! Great time for someone to buy low on Arraez. I think he is closer to 2023 then 2024!

[@Ghxst12]

He lost my respect for sitting the final few games just so he wouldn’t lose the batting title

[@aidenawe9359]

I don’t think he sat out the last few games. Dude was battling a wrist injury for most of the 2nd half of the season

[@7B7E7N7]

This is false, he did not sit out the last few games.

[@albertonovas18]

In summary, he needs to focus on taking more quality at-bats and seeing more pitches. This approach will enhance his on-base percentage (OBP) and could potentially lead to an even higher batting average. Additionally, by observing more pitches, he can draw more walks, further improving his overall performance.

[@RecruiterMan81]

To put it succinctly. He's a one dimensional player. Elite contact skills but that's it. He doesn't walk much, he's not good defensively, doesn't steal bases and don't hit for power. He's not a modern day tony gwynn. Tony was an excellent defensive player and he could steal bases. You have to be good at more than one thing to be a great player.

[@miguelschoedel7691]

Awesome video

[@Twicelovetwicelife]

I’m a padre fan, he’s over rated. Every stat proves it, one star player at most

[@pasdan4985]

I think theres a big issue with a lot of the discussion in the comments The thing that’s the problem with arraez isnt really the bat, it’s that the bat is all he has. The reason he puts up 1 WAR isnt because of his hitting, its because he provides no baserunning value and is a pretty seriously minus defender. Discussions about the value of batting him 3rd are good and all but dont really deal with the core of the conversation which is that he’s a one tool guy currently (in past seasons he’s been above average defensively which is why those seasons have WAR numbers that dont make people argue)

[@Il_Exile_lI]

His batting style is not being used to its fullest with him hitting leadoff. I understand the instinct to put a slap hitter in the leadoff spot, but we know better than that now. His good but not great OBP is not the right fit for leadoff, where instead he should be put in a position more likely to bring him up with runners on base. Since he can almost be guaranteed to put the ball in play, he's an ideal to player to have up in situations with men on, especially since those the situations where a walk isn't as good as a hit. It may seem crazy to old school baseball thinking, but I honestly think he'd be more valuable as a clean up hitter.

[@zqrahll]

Unlike Arraez, Tony Gwynn in his prime was a plus defender, could run, and had more pop.

[@MarkEnglish-r4h]

I’m a big fan. Reminds me of a old school baseball player

[@AJ_Osser]

Luis Arráez is great at 1 of the 5 tools a player need. But let face it….he’s terrible al the other 4.

[@andrewsells3420]

I think he’s an amazing hitter, he’s just not as valuable as a player due to his defense, speed, and power🤷🏼‍♂️

[@civil_leuthie]

Arraez had a 4.9 WAR 2 years ago. 4.2 the year before that. If he hits over .330, he's valuable on every team. If he doesn't, he doesn't have anything else to make up for it. Hitting .318 with an abysmal chase rate at mostly 1B and DH in 2024 severely lowered his value. I'm positive he'll hit .333+ with a much lower chase rate and a much higher WAR in 2025, although he'll probably still be 1B and DH.

[@ozzuzzomg]

he had a high war becuase he still hit a few homers and his ba was sky high, him at 330 isn't much he needs 350

[@ShawneyySlime]

If we can just trade Stroman . We can DH Arraez give Stanton more time off, we know he’s going to get hurt (we need him for the playoffs) and let Oswald get a real chance at 3rd.

[@alexalmond6862]

A lot of y’all are commenting before watching the video lmao

[@TheSoxor123]

Whats stopping Arraez from hitting for power? Why doesnt he hit the weight room and hit for more homers?

[@BostonBori92]

​@cliftonbennett6420 I wouldn't say on purpose lol he's not a big guy and he doesn't have long arms..,hitting the way he does is the most effective way for him to hit the ball hard so while intentional yes he does it because he has no choice 😂

[@grandhusslemonster]

There’s plenty of guys of Arraez’s size or smaller that hit for power. Luis doesn’t hit for power because he lacks the plate discipline to do so.

[@BostonBori92]

@@grandhusslemonster check back the arm sizes of those guys that you are talking about I'm sure for their size they have long arms Luis for his size has short arms that's why no matter how hard he hits the ball he'll never be able to drive it for alot of power

[@pistolrx9313]

Thank you

[@hooptie6312]

Why do all the baseball KZbinrs make the same video right after each other. It’s so obvious lol. There’s been 3 arraez vids all within 2 days saying the same thing. Unoriginal.

[@oscargoat2.010]

Most underrated player in a long time

[@jaypee1010]

It appears this guy is a very good hitter but utilized incorrectly and may need some 1 on 1 attention.

[@DipreG]

Fam, you were born to make money off your voice.

[@austinrodriguez4272]

He’s a great hitter that’s it lol

[@SO-if3yn]

Dude I thought I was subbed, my bad G. Keep crushing🫡

[@plastic_ben]

I am convinced that padres fans know absolutely nothing about baseball

[@Hyrule-Kight]

Bad take, terrible.

[@grandhusslemonster]

Eh, most fans will big up the players on their team.

[@gaugemcintyre5098]

oh man another unoriginal video about luis

[@dankexposed305]

I will not tolerate Arraez slander

[@cococock2418]

Because you don’t know baseball.

[@makattack930]

He had 1.1 WAR he gets a lot of hits but they are all singles and he never walks

[@Alex.Jensen]

Sabermetrics are overrated. The nerds don't know enough about playing baseball. Arraez is a fantastic contact hitter.

[@dr.smiley2327]

@@Alex.Jensen😂😂

[@danielmulato4184]

Bro is the worst average player

[@CarloFerraro]

Too many stats and the results suck. Batting titles define a player, Boggs, Carew, Gwynn... it reminds me what astrophysics do, they notice a perturbance, they put math in there and it then exists. This is BASEBALL, shit!

[@Padres-Win]

Why is everyone making videos on how arraez is “not valuable” because he doesn’t hit homers

[@sir.muffiniii7011]

Because all he does it get singles, he gets on base and an above average clip but it’s nothing crazy, he has no pop, chases a lot which leads to weak contact which makes easy outs, doesn’t walk, horrible defence and baserunning, etc

[@Baseballify]

@@sir.muffiniii7011fr this guy dosent understand the videos it’s not the just the Homeruns

[@EpticityOG]

Typical Biased Padres fan, probably thinks the Machado deal is a steal too lol

[@rupert_1491]

He also doesn’t walk, can play defense, and can’t run but that’s fine as long as there’s power bat right behind him (Aaron judge)

[@eddief9254]

The guy can hit, he has a playable glove. He's pretty cheap compared to salaries now. I'll bat him 9th in a giants uniform. Lee already bat's lead-off

[@chrissanborn1678]

Is every baseball channel copying each other or are we just down to AI generated baseball slop? All three of you made the same video within days of each other. Lazy.

[@jumomediacorp]

is baseball becoming a defensive game? defense is more important than the avg?

[@Jkend199]

Arrez is the best hitter in baseball. PERIOD. Tony Gwynn was the best hitter in baseball in his time. I HATE the "modern" ideal of hit the ball as hard as you can, it results in batting averages of .225 and BA with RISP of .190 WORST BASEBALL I HAVE EVER SEEN. So many strikeouts, so many fly ball outs... so few base runners... SO LITTLE ACTION, the entire game is waiting for someone to hit a fucking home run, it is the worst baseball to watch that I have ever seen... The NBA did this a few years ago, went to 40% of the shots being taken from 3, now it's more like 50% and guess what, the NBA is dying, cuz it isn't fun to watch... 8 innings of NOTHING... waiting for someone to hit a homerun is FUCKING BORING. If baseball stays on this path with more and more Pete Alonso, and batting avg's continue to get lower and lower baseball will die, cuz it will be too boring to watch. I HATE THIS HOMERUN DERBY SHIT AND I DONT CARE IF IT WORKS, ITS NOT FUN TO WATCH.

[@dtc8249]

I'm with you. I actually want the fences moved BACK to encourage more contact, gap hits, baserunning, outfielder plays. The most exciting plays in the game of baseball are triple and inside the park homers. Old-time baseball must have been unreal with all the huge fields and low K rates.

[@Jkend199]

@@dtc8249 The late 90's to early 2000's was a great time to be a fan, the league avg was 30 pts higher than it is now, players who couldn't hit 250 didn't play... the action was constant, there was always something happening... every inning. Baseball was fun. I do not want to see a game with 8+ innings of 3 base runners and 0 money hits with 30 combined strikeouts... that is what baseball has become and its unwatchable... Tony Gwynn was AMAZING, almost never struck out, always put the ball in play, he was fun to watch, when he was playing baseball was fun to watch...

[@matthewbrault5666]

You should see this Aaron Judge guy

[@dr.smiley2327]

Awful take but I get it ur stuck in the old ages

[@Yankster-02-27]

YANKEES HAVE TO GET HIM..COME ON CASHMANNN DO IT AND SIGN ROKI SASAKIIII

[@EnriqueLopez-yd9xt]

Lol

[@PrimarySweeper13]

The issue with WAR can be seen easily with Arraez. A guy who leads the league in hits is more valuable than a guy who leads the league in walks. Simple as that

[@Arminian100]

Except, they aren't. Zero data shows that to be true.

[@ooo_Kim_Chi_ooo]

When all your hits are singles, walks are more valuable because it takes more pitches to walk someone. Hitting singles means nothing if you cant score.

[@cococock2418]

Except that is laughably untrue lmao. Man these old school contact hitting loving clowns are in such denial.

[@Arminian100]

@@ooo_Kim_Chi_ooo eh. No. Technically speaking, singles lead to more runs than walks do. Linear weights show this year over year. Also, OPS makes this pretty obvious. But due to the fact that no league leaders get singles or walks in a vacuum, someone leading the league in walks is doing a lot more than a singles guy.

[@gregb675]

Was really hoping the Yanks would get Lux. I don't hate the idea of an automatic baserunner for a Judge AB tho

[@sir.muffiniii7011]

If you want an automatic baserunner you might as well get someone with a better OBP

[@Arminian100]

Yeah, unfortunately, Arraez isn't that. His OBP isn't amazing.

[@cococock2418]

Automatic base runner where? The guy batted an insane average with an extremely mid OBP. He isn’t good.

[@prestonbucher18]

I’m not an old man but I’m not a young man, either. I’m just a life long baseball fan that prefers the style of hitting of guys like Luis Arraez over guys like Kyle Schwarber (no offense, Kyle). For me as a fan……There is nothing I despise more than the strikeout, walk, home run hell baseball offenses have become. I don’t want to see guys batting .214 with 190 strikeouts. I don’t care if he hits 35 home runs. Its boring. I can’t stand strikeouts and I can’t stomach that guys are indifferent to it. I will always prefer the guys that put the ball in play. As a fan….It’s action and it can be unpredictable…..And for a sport like baseball……Predictability is the last thing you should want if you’re trying to sell a product….Unfortunately, that’s what 3 “true” outcome is…..

[@Arminian100]

@@prestonbucher18 you win more game when your outcomes are predictable. That's the nature of analytics.

[@bigjared8946]

In the era of modern modern pitching and bullpens it can be exceedingly difficult to string 3 singles together in an inning just to a run or two. The way guys hit now is a response to what pitching has become as much as it is a response to analytics.

[@xxxjoeflores68]

Luiz is a fantastic player and as a padre fan I hope we keep him longterm