SCOTTSDALE — Tony Vitello is a fan of the World Baseball Classic and figures to tune in whenever he gets a breather from his busy Giants schedule. If he happens to catch Venezuela over the next week, he’ll be looking for something very specific.
Vitello noticed recently that second baseman Luis Arráez has made noticeable strides when attempting to start a double play on balls hit to his left. It has been one of many intricacies that Arráez has been working on during daily work with infield instructor Ron Washington, and Vitello is curious to see if that carries over into games.
“It’s just improvement — and, like, drastic improvement on one particular play,” Vitello said. “It looked completely different than it did (earlier) in a three-day window.”
What Vitello saw with the improved footwork and adjustment to the way Arráez feeds Willy Adames is exactly what the Giants anticipated when they hired Washington, known as one of the best to ever coach infielders. It’s also what they expected when they signed Arráez to a one-year deal late in the offseason.
The Giants are confident that Arráez will be just fine at second despite what the defensive metrics have said in recent years. Arráez is so confident in his own ability to improve that he turned down multi-year offers elsewhere to play in San Francisco. After watching him primarily play first base and DH for the San Diego Padres last season, their pitch was simple: You can play your favorite position.
“When I signed with Minnesota, I signed as a shortstop and then my first year as a pro (in the Dominican Republic) that was my base,” Arráez said of second base on Thursday’s Giants Talk podcast. “Now I’ve got a big opportunity to come here and play second and try to go out there and enjoy it. San Francisco gave me a big opportunity so I need to go out there and enjoy it.”
Arráez has been an easy fit in the clubhouse, and the staff has been impressed by how much work he has put in on a back field to make gains defensively. If the improvements show once the season starts, Arráez will be an everyday player, and a key piece for a lineup that — on paper, at least — is as deep as it’s been in years.
The Giants turned to Arráez after becoming frustrated with trade discussions, primarily with the St. Louis Cardinals, who eventually sent Brendan Donovan to the Seattle Mariners. They believe that Arráez’s glove will be better, but last year, there were also some questions on the other side.
Arráez hit .292 and had the lowest strikeout rate since Tony Gwynn in 1995, but he was in the bottom 10 percent of the league in walk rate and slugged .392. By wRC+, he was just a tick better than league-average as a hitter. At 0.9 fWAR, he was about as valuable as incumbent Casey Schmitt.
The offensive numbers have dropped significantly since Arráez’s 2022-23 peak and last season’s wRC+ was the lowest of his seven-year career, but there’s reason to believe the 28-year-old will be a bigger threat this season. Arráez was carted off the field last April after a collision with Houston Astros infielder Mauricio Dubon. He returned to the field nine days later, but says now that he never quite felt the same after that hit.
“Way different. Way different. I didn’t feel 100 percent,” Arráez said. “It’s not an excuse but last year I felt a little bit weird because of a lot of headaches, a lot of dizziness.”
If Arráez can get back to his days of winning batting titles and ranking among the league leaders in on-base percentage, he profiles as a leadoff hitter for Vitello’s Giants. But the staff also has discussed the possibility of him hitting lower in the order in a spot where he will more often come up with runners on base. The Giants are trying to inject contact skills into their organization, and part of that is about more often putting the ball in play with runners in scoring position.
“I believe that his best attribute is being able to drive in runs,” new hitting coach Hunter Mense said. “He gets a lot of hits and being able to score guys from third base with two outs or score guys from second base with two outs oftentimes requires a hit. I just want him in those situations.
“I don’t know what the rest of the lineup around him kind of looks like, but I want him in those situations and in those spots as many times as we can get it.”
Wherever Arráez hits, the Giants know they’ll be getting a consistent approach.
As a child growing up in Venezuela, Arráez used to cry when he would strike out. He learned over time that pitchers can be pretty talented too, but that bitterness with every strikeout is still there, and his childhood dream of winning batting titles is as strong as ever. He has three, but he wants more.
“Baseball is changing, you know? A lot of hitters just want to hit homers. It’s not my game,” Arráez said. “If I change my game, maybe I’ll be in my house watching other people play. I don’t want to change anything. I just want to go there and try to get on base, try to get my hits, try to go out there and play for the team to win.”
Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast