Fastball

After Shocking Trade, Luis Arraez Makes San Diego Padres Team History in Debut

Making his debut on Saturday night with the San Diego Padres, Luis Arraez had four hits, making some team history.

Brady Farkas

May 4, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Diego Padres designated hitter Luis Arraez (4) leads off
May 4, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Diego Padres designated hitter Luis Arraez (4) leads off / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
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The San Diego Padres beat the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday, 13-1, at Chase Field.

The win moved the Padres to 18-18 on the year while the loss dropped the National League champions to a disappointing 14-20.

The Padres got offensive help from multiple places in this one as Jake Cronenworth went 2-for-5 and Jurickson Profar went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Profar and Ha-Seong Kim each had homers in the win, and the new guy, Luis Arraez, made quite the impression too.

After being shockingly traded to the Padres on Friday night, Arraez went 4-for-5 in his team debut, hitting right at the top of the order. With his performance, he made some unique team history as well.

Per Sarah Langs of MLB.com:

Luis Arraez’s 4 hits are the most by a Padres player in his debut with the team

Arraez is now hitting .315 for the year and should help set the table for the Padres' power hitters in the middle of the order.

The 27-year-old is arguably the best pure hitter in the game, having won two consecutive batting titles. He captured the award in 2022 with the Minnesota Twins and in 2023 with the Marlins. He's hit .316 and .354 in those years, respectively.

Arraez isn't the only big trade the Padres have made recently: They also acquired starting pitcher Dylan Cease in a move with the Chicago White Sox over the winter.

The Padres and Diamondbacks will play again on Sunday afternoon with first pitch coming at 4:10 p.m. ET.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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