Newest SF Giants hitter quickly shedding ‘contact’ reputation in WBC

A number of SF Giants players are away from camp competing in the World Baseball Classic. San Francisco’s most recent addition, second baseman Luis Arraez, is known as a contact hitter, but you wouldn’t know it based on what he did for Team Venezuela on Saturday night.

Arraez went deep not once, but twice, as he helped lead Venezuela to a dominant victory over Team Israel, 11-3. Arraez had four hits in total on the night and drove in five runs. That came after he drove in two runs in Venezuela’s first WBC game so he is definitely hot at the plate right now.

Luis Arraez showing SF Giants he has a little pop in his bat

The three-time batting champ has never been known for his power. The most home runs he has had in a big league season was when he hit 10 back in 2023 with the Miami Marlins. Perhaps it’s fitting that he hit two big flies at LoanDepot Park which is where the Marlins play.

Giants fans probably shouldn’t get too excited about Arraez’s power potential, though. Something tells me he’s not going to have 20 homers and put five balls into McCovey Cove this year. The Giants just want him to be a guy who hits over .300 and provides some contact and consistency in a lineup that mostly leans upon guys who swing and miss a lot.

A bigger question than what he does with the bat is what he does with his glove. Arraez signed with the Giants because they were willing to let him play second base even though his defense is not highly regarded. He’s played there in the past and infield coach Ron Washington has already been hard at work getting him ready at the position. 

He probably will not win a Gold Glove, but if he can just be serviceable at the position and still gets a lot of hits, potentially as the team's leadoff hitter, then the Giants should be happy with that.

Arraez is not the only Giant at the WBC doing good things. Logan Webb turned in a solid start for Team USA on Friday and on Saturday Jung Hoo Lee got two hits and drove in a run for Team South Korea. Harrison Bader also hit a home run for Team Israel on Saturday. 

It’s cool to see Giants players doing good things representing their respective countries and Arraez is proving that he can indeed hit the ball out of the ballpark even if that’s not what he is known for.