The New Tony Gywnn, Luis Arraez, and his Rookie Cards
No matter the team he is playing, or the team he is with, Luis Arraez just keeps hitting. In just a short amount of time in the league, Arraez has already put himself in a short list of best hitters in the game. When it comes to putting the ball in play, even if its small ball, there hasnt been anyone really better the past 5 plus years.
And yet it seems like no one in the hobby has noticed his greatness.
Since his rookie year, he has done nothing but carry a career .319 batting average. Each of the last 3 years Arraez has led the league in batting average, with his best being .354 in 2023. The last 3 seasons he has also compiled 576 hits, going over the 200 hit mark in 2023, and 2024.
He is a student of hitting, and dare I say, reminds me of Tony Gwynn. If this was the 1980's Arraez would surely be considered one of the best hitters in the game by the fans. Like Gwynn, Arraez doesnt hit many home runs. But on the flip side, both Gwynn and Arraez put the ball in play, and dont strike out. In todays game, it seems pretty common for players to strike out over 100 times. Gwynn's highest single season strikeout is just 40 times. Arraez has taken a page from Gwynn as his highest single season total is just 48. To put this in perspective, Riley Green has struck out 87 times this season, and its only been 67 games.
It is almost criminal to see his 2019 Topps Chrome Update PSA 10 sell for $20-25. If you are lucky, the past few have barely scratched $15.
RELATED: Behind the Card of MLB HOF Tony Gwynn and the 1983 Topps Rookie That Still Hits
Even recently a 2019 Topps Chrome Update Autograph PSA 10 went for only $150, and that was with just 1 bid. The raw version of this card only fetches between $115-125.
We could be witnessing greatness, and one day be talking about being elected in the Baseball Hall of Fame. So if you like bargain shopping at local card shows, or digging through boxes at your local card shop, scoring a Luis Arraez RC could be a great investment for the future.
