5 days Ago
Luis Arráez has made a habit of avoiding strikeouts ever since he reached the big leagues, and that habit has helped him make history time and time again. The San Diego Padres first baseman went 3-for-5 with a home run and zero strikeouts Monday night, scoring twice in his team's 10-4 win over the Chicago Cubs. It marked the fourth game in a row in which Arráez refused to strike out, fresh off his 12-game strikeout-less streak to open the season.
Through 17 games, Arráez may only be batting .282 with a .715 OPS, but he has just one strikeout to his name.
Underdog Fantasy's Justin Havens noted that Arráez became the first player with no more than one strikeout in the first 16 games of a season – minimum 60 plate appearances – since Chicago White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski achieved the feat in 2011.
Pierzynski struck out for the second time in game No. 17, though, while Arráez did not. Arráez, a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger, has won three consecutive batting titles over the past three seasons.
He did so with the Minnesota Twins and Miami Marlins before joining the Padres. For his career, Arráez is a .322 hitter with a .
788 OPS, averaging seven home runs, 33 doubles, 58 RBIs, 200 hits and a 3.4 WAR per 162 games. He has drawn 198 walks since making his MLB debut in 2019, compared to his 195 strikeouts.
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