The Miami Marlins just came off a winning season and their first postseason appearance in a full season since 2003. Who is someone on the roster who can potentially lead them deep into the playoffs in 2024? The Marlins have had their fair share of losing seasons, but as of 2023, there seems to be a switch. It is no secret that this switch is due in part to their major addition from last season, Luis Arráez. Arráez has completely changed the dynamic in South Beach. Alongside him, some players worth mentioning are Josh Bell and Jake Burger, who also each had a big part in the Marlins playoff appearance in 2023.
Through one season in South Florida, Arráez has singlehandedly completely changed the atmosphere at Loan Depot Park. He led the Marlins to the NL Wild Card game and has awoken the rather dormant Miami offense. This makes Luis Arráez the Marlins’ most indispensable player.
Luis Arráez’s Indispensable Impact on the Marlins
Without Arráez, the Marlins likely would’ve had another down year in 2023. Arráez joined the Marlins before last season via a trade with the Minnesota Twins. At the time, it was thought that the Marlins were losing a great pitcher, Pablo López, which they did, but they ended up acquiring their franchise player. In Minnesota, Arráez made his first All-Star game appearance and won the AL batting title and Silver Slugger honors in 2022. This caught the attention of the Marlins, who were in dire need of offensive firepower. Once they added him to the roster, their fortunes flipped quickly. Arráez had an incredible season in his first year with Miami.
In 2023, Arráez made his second All-Star appearance and won the NL Silver Slugger Award. He was the Marlins’ starting second baseman and plans are for him to stay there in 2024. He led the majors with a .345 average and finished 8th in NL MVP voting. In addition, he finished the season with a .354 batting average while posting a .393 on-base percentage and .469 slugging percentage. His average hovered around the fabled .400 mark for close to half of the season. His 133 OPS+ was the best of any Marlins player.
In addition to these amazing stats, Arráez broke a couple of team records. He became the first Marlins player to hit for the cycle, and he beat Hanley Ramírez’s franchise record of five four-hit games in a season. He is not only their best offensive player, but he also serves as an inspiration to the young players Miami has.
Luis Arreaz 1st cycle in Marlins history
— IBWAA (@IBWAA) April 12, 2023
Arráez is eligible for free agency in 2025, but hopes to sign an extension with the Marlins. Time will tell whether this goes through, as the Fish have a bad habit of trading away star players. Meanwhile, another player the Marlins acquired in the offseason worth keeping an eye on is Tim Anderson. Anderson’s powerful bat and slick fielding could make him another indispensable player for the Marlins.
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