Luis Arraez makes history, wins first batting title for Padres since Tony Gwynn
For the third time in a row, with a third different team, Luis Arraez has won a batting title. While different players, it calls Padres fans back to Mr. Padre himself.
The National League batting champion is designated as the “Tony Gwynn National League Batting Champion.” In 2024, that is very fitting as a Padres hitter has won the title for the first time since Gwynn himself did it in 1997. Luis Arraez also becomes just the second Padres hitter not named Tony Gwynn to win the batting title after Gary Sheffield achieved it in 1992.
Luis Arraez finished the 2024 regular season with a .314 batting average, tops in the National League. There was a bit of last-minute drama between him, Shohei Ohtani, and Marcell Ozuna for the top spot. Now, with just the Mets/Braves doubleheader remaining in the regular season slate, Arraez stands alone as Ohtani finished at .310, with Ozuna sitting at .304.
Then, Arraez not only hit a double in the final game against Arizona, essentially clinching the batting title, but it also was his 200th hit of the season. That marks the second season in a row. Arraez notched at least 200 hits.
The Padres have not had a 200-hit player since Mark Loretta in 2004. Granted, 41 of those hits came with the Marlins before the trade on May 4.
The Venezuelan contact specialist also made big history with what will be his third batting title. He becomes the first player in MLB history to win a batting title with three different teams. Arraez took it a step further by doing it in three consecutive seasons with the Twins in 2022, Marlins in 2023, and now the Padres.
Once again, batting titles are cool, San Diego. A.J. Preller swung the deal for Arraez, knowing he was one of the elite contact hitters in the whole game. He fits perfect atop the Padres lineup, frequently getting on base for the San Diego power hitters.
Arraez’s nickname is “La Regadera,” Spanish for “The Sprinkler.” He sprays the ball all over the yard. His spray chart looks like a scatter plot with no rhyme or reason. No part of the field is off limits to him.
Arraez is a unique character in the modern day of baseball. He’s only reached double-digit homers once in his six-year career. He slugs under .400. Yet his value goes beyond the box score. His teammates clearly love him. He makes the Padres lineup better. Now, once again, he has the hardware to prove he has one of the more elite skills in the entire sport.
