Luis Arraez is baseball's top pure contact hitter, a unique profile in a modern game dominated by elevated strikeout rates and boom-or-bust power.
Arraez's value could be significantly boosted if he were to join the New York Yankees. The team has cycled through internal options for a permanent, high-level leadoff hitter, but none have stuck. Arraez would solve this need immediately, slotting in ahead of Aaron Judge and providing high-contact baserunners directly ahead of the team's main run producers.
Fenway Park is tailor-made for Arraez's spray-hitting approach. Adding him to the Boston Red Sox would give the team another top-tier bat and stabilize a second-base position that has suffered from inconsistent production. Arraez's ability to line outer-third pitches off the Green Monster or flick late-count pitches down the short right-field line would create continuous run-scoring opportunities and force pitchers into stressful at-bats.
The Seattle Mariners are in desperate need of contact hitters to reduce team swing-and-miss rates. Arraez's rare bat-to-ball skills should allow him to thrive in the pitcher-friendly environment of T-Mobile Park, even if his RBI opportunities drop slightly in a leadoff role. Hitting ahead of Julio Rodriguez would keep his run-scoring totals high, making him a high-end option in both points and Roto formats.
The Texas Rangers could use another high-contact bat near the top of their order. Arguably the best contact hitter in baseball, Arraez would likely slide into the first or second spot ahead of middle-of-the-order run producers like Corey Seager, Wyatt Langford, and Jake Burger. This would provide the ultimate counterweight to the team's power-heavy lineup, which can periodically fall into high-strikeout slumps.
Jeff Passan lists the Rangers and the Rays as potential fits for Luis Arraez.
Source: Yahoo Sports