San Francisco Giants

Luis Arráez

The contact artist who became the Giants' offensive backbone

Signed to a one-year deal over the winter, Luis Arráez came to San Francisco for a chance to play his natural second base every day — and spent the first half proving the bet was right. He was the steadiest bat on the roster, the one constant in a lineup that needed one.

The numbers are the kind only he puts up: a .330 average with 119 hits, and the best strikeout rate in baseball — 16 strikeouts in more than 400 plate appearances. The bat control is the headline, but his work at second base has quietly answered the old questions about his glove.

It earned him a fourth straight All-Star selection. He entered the game in Philadelphia as a defensive replacement at second and took an at-bat in the seventh, striking out against Rangers lefty Jacob Latz in the National League's 4-0 loss. With the Giants under .500 and Arráez on an expiring contract, he became one of the most talked-about names heading toward the trade deadline — but through the break, he was simply the best reason to watch this team hit.