The Giants made a splash this offseason by reportedly agreeing to a deal with Luis Arráez, and it’s already got fans-and statheads-talking. Arráez is a throwback in a game increasingly driven by launch angles and exit velocity.
He’s not the kind of hitter who’s going to light up a Statcast leaderboard, but he does one thing exceptionally well: he hits. And he hits a lot.
Not everyone is convinced that’s enough in today’s analytically driven game. Critics point to his low walk rate, modest slugging numbers, and a wRC+ that doesn’t exactly scream “elite.”
But inside the Giants’ clubhouse, there’s no such doubt. New teammate Harrison Bader made that clear during a recent interview on KNBR 680’s “Murph & Markus,” where he offered a strong defense of the Giants’ newest addition.
“I think the people who make decisions in the front office understand the value of a player as talented as Luis Arráez,” Bader said. “There are always going to be conversations about expected stats and whatnot - and those are all well and good for Twitter conversations - but at the end of the day what matters most is the lineup you put out there, advancing 90 feet at a time, getting as many hits as possible, getting on base, all these things.”
That’s a veteran speaking from experience. Bader’s comments cut through the noise and bring the conversation back to the fundamentals.
Baseball, at its core, is still about getting on base and moving runners along. And few do that better than Arráez.
Let’s not forget: this is a guy who won three straight batting titles from 2022 to 2024, including leading all of Major League Baseball in average in 2023. Last season, he topped the National League in both hits and sacrifice hits, and struck out just 21 times - the fewest among all qualified hitters.
That’s not just impressive, that’s rare. In an era where strikeouts are at an all-time high, Arráez is an outlier in the best way possible.
“He's stacked three batting titles on top of that; I think that really does speak for itself,” Bader added. “I've seen him work up close.
I've watched him work. I've studied how he works and I know a lot of his coaches and everything, and all of that speaks for itself.
“I don't want to go as far as to criticize or be rude to anybody, but all I can tell you is that he's just an extremely gifted hitter. What he does is something that really good major leaguers can't do.”
That kind of praise doesn’t come lightly, especially from a fellow big leaguer. Bader knows what it takes to succeed at this level, and he’s clearly excited to share the field with someone who brings such a unique skill set to the table.
Arráez’s profile fits neatly into the Giants’ evolving offensive identity under president of baseball operations Buster Posey. Posey has made it clear he values hitters who put the ball in play and force the defense to make plays.
Arráez isn’t swinging for the fences - he’s aiming for the gaps, the holes, the seams in the infield. And more often than not, he finds them.
Bader, for his part, brings his own consistency to the Giants’ lineup. His .277 batting average last season would’ve ranked second on the team behind Dominic Smith (.284), who played in significantly fewer games.
Bader’s all-around game - solid defense, steady bat, and veteran presence - makes him a valuable piece. But even he’s looking forward to learning from Arráez.
“I'm happy that we acquired him, and I'm excited to learn from him,” Bader said. “I have tremendous respect for him, and I'm looking forward to having him be a teammate of mine for sure.”
In a sport that often overcomplicates itself with numbers and projections, Arráez is a reminder that there’s still room for the pure hitter - the guy who can step into the box and just flat-out rake. The Giants are betting that skill still matters. And if you ask Harrison Bader, it absolutely does.