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Miami Marlins second baseman Luis Aries is the latest MLB player to chase a . 400 batting average.
The former Minnesota Twins second baseman was dealt to the Marlins to starting pitcher Pablo Lopez in the offseason last season. Arraez hits an MLB-leading . 399 heading into Tuesday’s game against the Boston Red Sox.
Twins players are following the efforts of their former Miami teammates and are quick to praise the 2022 American League champion. Minnesota designated hitter Byron Buxton told the Minneapolis StarTribune:
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“Hitting is hard. It makes it sound like backyard baseball.”
400 batting average after June 18 since Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra.
The five-year MLB veteran has built a career hitting average for putting the ball into play all over the field. In an era of exit speeds and launching angles, he’s a rebound hitter. He strikes fear into the hearts of opponents, despite his 5-foot-10, 175-pound frame.
Twins shortstop Carlos Correa, a . 274 career hitter struggling to hit just . 213 this season, told StarTribune:
“We live in an era where the long ball and hitting the ball hard is what we’re looking for. He sticks to his plan, to his game, and he’s just trying to put the ball into play. He’s got a knack for just playing with it and putting it where he wants it. It’s a great gift.”
Red Sox legend Ted Williams was the last American League player to hit . 400, hitting . 406 in 1941. Since then, some great players have made their runs to the mark, only to fall short of it.
Tony Gwynn of the San Diego Padres hit . 394 in 1994, just three hits short of . 400. George Brett of the Kansas City Royals was five hits short when he batted . 390 in 1980. Rod Carew of the Twins covered the front cover of Sports Illustrated with Williams in 1977 when he hit . 388, seven strokes shy of.
That Louis Aries is running at . 400 is no accident
Running Luis Araz in the .400 is no easy feat. He is a high-contact hitter who has posted batting averages above . 300 in four of his five MLB seasons.
Last year, he prevented New York Yankees quarterback Aaron Judge from winning the triple title by hitting . 316, five short of Judge. The Yankees captain was the MLB leader with 62 home runs and 131 RBIs.
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