Acquired in an offseason trade with the Minnesota Twins, Luis Arraez was easily viewed as one of the key building blocks in the Miami Marlins’ push for the postseason.
But how many, at the time, truly thought he’d be the building block?
Arraez, an ultra-consistent, top-of-the-order hitter who man’s second base for the Marlins, has made the most of his time in Miami. The 26-year-old Venezuelan has been a fixture in the leadoff spot, will start in Tuesday’s All-Star Game for the National League, and though he’s dipped from his season high, he’s leading all of Major League Baseball with a .383 batting average.
“I don’t think there is anyone more deserving, at least on our team, to start and represent our ballclub,” Marlins first-year manager Skip Schumaker said last week after Arraez was announced as an NL starter. “I think he represents what we’re all about.”
When the Marlins return to regular-season action on Friday, Arraez will resume his chase to become the first player since Ted Williams in 1941 to hit for .400 in a season.
“He plays the game the right way, it’s not just the production, but all the work he puts in. [He’s] a winning type of player,” Schumaker said. “The fact that he is doing it for so long — middle of the season, at the halfway mark, [chasing] .400 is insane. Hitting .300 nowadays is so hard to do, and the fact that he is around the .400 clip is just so impressive, and the way he goes about it is contagious with all the other guys. It’s pretty cool to watch and I hope more people are diving in and seeing what he’s doing every day.”
Tuesday’s appearance in Seattle will be Arraez’s second All-Star Game, but his first start. He was an American League reserve last year.
“It means a lot. Everybody knows, I work hard every day … and I want to thank the fans for supporting and voting for me,” Arraez said last week. “I almost cried.”
Arraez finished his Twins tenure last year with a .334 average, an AL Silver Slugger award and the AL’s batting title. Those are difficult achievements to top, but he’s well on his way … as are the Marlins.
Sunday’s 7-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies gave Miami a 53-39 record, good for second place in the NL East. The Marlins also have a three-game lead on every team in the NL wild-card race.
But Arraez will not be the only Marlin in attendance at the midsummer classic on Tuesday. Cuban-born outfielder Jorge Soler made the NL squad as a reserve designated hitter.
Soler typically bats No. 2 in the Marlins’ order, just behind Arraez, and has supplied the power for Miami. Heading into the break, he has 23 home runs, good for fourth in the National League, to go along with 53 RBIs.
“It feels great being recognized by your peers, and that’s something that I’m pretty sure they can see the hard work that you’re putting into the game,” Soler said last week. “It’s just great to have the backup from all of them.”
However, even beyond Arraez and Soler, Schumaker was hired to replace Don Mattingly after last season and has been impressed from his dugout view, as his whole club has become one of baseball’s best stories.
“It’s been fun to watch them grow,” Schumaker said after Sunday’s win. “There is a lot of belief in that clubhouse that we’re ready to win, and they’ve proved it.”
The Marlins will return from the All-Star break on Friday when they take on the Baltimore Orioles. If the season ended today, Miami would meet the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL wild-card series.
“Just proud of how they come in and work every day,” said Schumaker. “When you’re excited to get to the ballpark every day, that creates a fun culture.”
