Acquired from the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline, infielder Luis Arraez is emerging as a crucial difference-maker for the Philadelphia Phillies. In 31 games, Arraez is batting .289 with two home runs and 14 RBIs, bringing the elite contact-hitting approach the team has long missed.
One of the most significant trades of the season sent Luis Arraez to the Philadelphia Phillies from the San Francisco Giants.
Since joining the Phillies, Arraez has logged 31 games and collected 35 hits, posting a .289 batting average alongside two home runs and 14 RBIs.
Former MLB player Jeff Francoeur, speaking ahead of the team’s series opener against the Houston Astros, pointed out that Arraez provides a necessary alternative to heavy power-hitting when facing elite postseason pitching.
In the playoffs, you have got to be able to put the ball in play at times. You’re not going to hit the big home run when you’re facing this elite pitching like that. And I think one thing that Luis Arraez has done, talking to some of these players, even calling them out, like dude put the ball in play every once in a while, in a good, friendly way. But it’s contagious, man, when you see a guy spraying it all over the place, not scared to hit with two strikes.
Jeff Francoeur, former MLB player
Francoeur Weighs in on Philadelphia’s Postseason Outlook
While sluggers like Kyle Schwarber remain staples of the Phillies’ offensive identity, Francoeur noted that relying exclusively on home runs has previously hurt the franchise in October. By introducing a skill set centered on manufacturing runs, moving runners over, and hitting sacrifice flies, Arraez has lengthened the batting order.
You know what you’re gonna get from Schwarber, right?… But in the playoffs, as we’ve talked about, the Phillies have to be able to manufacture runs, and that is the guy who can do it right there as far as getting someone over, a sack fly, putting the ball in play.
Jeff Francoeur, former MLB player
With the Phillies positioned among the top teams in baseball, the addition of Arraez offers a new dimension as tighter playoff matchups approach. If his current production holds, the club projects as a difficult opponent for any pitching staff in the postseason.
Worth a look
