Last season, Luis Arráez became the first hitter in MLB history to win a batting title in the American League and National League in consecutive years. It was always going to be hard for the majors’ best contemporary contact hitter to deliver a follow-up act, but he found a way to over the last 38 days.
Arráez struck out Monday night for the first time in 141 plate appearances. It was the longest any MLB hitter had gone in 23 seasons between punchouts and the fifth-longest streak in the last 40. While it’s not the longest streak in MLB history—Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn owns the longest streak (170 plate appearances) in the expansion era—it may be the most impressive, considering how common strikeouts are in the modern game due to the increased velocity and spin rates hitters must face.
