Luis Arraez has changed the Philadelphia Phillies in ways you wouldn't believe.
Back at the MLB trade deadline, the Philadelphia Phillies were in desperate need of a bat. Their offense had been scuffling all season long, and it seemed unlikely they would be able to make a playoff run without some assistance.
Well, the Phillies answered the bell by acquiring arguably the best hitter available in Luis Arraez, and they didn't even have to pay too steep of a price to do so.
Now, Philadelphia is seeing the fruit of its labor.
The Phillies have won 15 of their last 18 games to surge to 79-61 on the season as a whole, and it's becoming increasingly obvious that they will be playing October baseball.
And while Philadelphia is playing its best baseball of the campaign for a variety of reasons, you can bet that Arraez is at the center of it.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today penned a piece on Arraez on Thursday, detailing just how much the three-time batting champion has propelled the Phils since his arrival.
Just listen to these numbers.
The Phillies were 12th in the NL in batting average (.237) before Arraez joined the team. They are No. 2 (.272) since. They were 14th in OBP (.305). Since his arrival, they are No. 1 (.352). They were 12th in OPS (.705) before; they are second (.757) after. They ranked ninth in runs per game (4.39) before. They are No. 2 (5.19) after.
Then things get really crazy.
Philadelphia ranked 13th in walks (336) prior to Arraez's arrival. It ranks No. 1 (112) after. It was 13th in strikeouts per plate appearance (4.24) before. It now ranks No. 1 (626) since. Finally the Phillies were eighth with RISP (.259) before. They rank No. 1 (.320) after.
Arraez is slashing a modest .280/.295/.383 since the trade, good for a rather subpar .678 OPS. But it's clear that his impact goes far beyond his individual numbers.
The 29-year-old has completely changed the complexion of Philadelphia's offense, and his mere presence has made life far easier for big boppers like Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber.
It's no coincidence that Harper and Schwarber are both surging now that Arraez is in tow, and even guys like Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott are significantly benefiting.
Arraez is slated to hit free agency this offseason, but at this point, the Phillies would be crazy to let him go anywhere else.
