Marlins star achieves historic feat, still chasing another one
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, one of which he accomplished Tuesday night.
The most difficult of those two feats was 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 four-game stretch this week that saw him go a combined 12-for-17, including a 2-for-4 effort in Tuesday's 6-1 win over the Kansas City Royals, Arraez was able to raise his batting average to .401 for the season.
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.
His .401 average is now tied for the ninth-highest for a hitter since 1941 through a team's first 62 games.
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 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.
Not only is Arraez pacing the National League, he has a 70-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.
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