Miami Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez is having a sensational season in his first year with the team and is chasing down two potentially historic feats.
The most difficult of those two feats is going to be his quest to become the first player since Ted Williams in 1941 to eclipse the .400 batting mark in a single season. Thanks to a three-game stretch this week that saw him go a combined 10-for-13, Arraez was able to raise his batting average to .399 heading into play on Tuesday night.
The .400 mark has been a white whale for major league hitters for decades, with the overwhelming majority of the .400 seasons happening prior to the 1940s.
Arraez’s .399 mark entering Tuesday is the 10th-highest average for any player through their team’s first 61 games since Williams’ 1941 season, according to MLB.com.
Given how rare it is to even flirt with .400 for an entire season, it seems almost impossible to think he is actually going to accomplish it. But the fact he has kept with that pace for nearly 40 percent of the season is impressive all on its own.
The other milestone he is chasing down is becoming the first player since 1901 to win the batting title in the American and National League in consecutive seasons.
This one might actually be a realistic goal, especially since he has built a commanding lead in the NL race.
Arraez won the American League batting title as a member of the Minnesota Twins with a .316 average a year ago and was then traded to the Marlins for Pablo Lopez and two minor leaguers.
Entering play on Tuesday, he is not only pacing the National League, he has a 68-point lead over Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (.331) and Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. No other player in the National League is hitting over .320.
Along with the incredibly high batting average, Arraez also has 19 walks to only 11 strikeouts and has a league-leading .450 on-base percentage.