MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL, MN – The Minnesota Twins announced today that infielder/outfielder Luis Arraez has been named a recipient of the 2022 American League Louisville Slugger® Silver Slugger™ Award at the utility spot after being selected as a top offensive producer, in a vote by AL coaches and managers. This marks Arraez’s first career Silver Slugger Award and the first for a Twin since Nelson Cruz (designated hitter) in 2020, while he becomes the first-ever winner from the utility spot.

Arraez, 25, played in 144 games for the Twins this season, hitting .316 (173-for-547) with 31 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 49 RBI, 88 runs scored, 50 walks, a .375 on-base percentage and a .795 OPS. The first-time All-Star won the AL batting title, becoming the fifth different Twin to win the award, joining Tony Oliva (3x, 1964-65 & ’71), Rod Carew (7x, 1969, ’72-75 & ’77-78), Kirby Puckett (1989) and Joe Mauer (3x, 2006 & ’08-09). The San Felipe, Venezuela native led the AL in batting average with runners in scoring position (.366), batting average with two strikes (.281) and led all of baseball with the lowest whiff percentage, swinging and missing at just 7.1% of pitches. His .375 on-base percentage ranked seventh in the AL and 11th in baseball, while he set career-highs in games, at-bats, runs scored, hits, doubles, home runs, RBI and walks. A career .314 hitter, Arraez’s batting average reached a low-water mark of .296 just three times on the season and under .300 just four times.

The Louisville Slugger® Silver Slugger™ Award winners are decided by a vote of MLB managers and coaches who select the players they determine to be the best offensive producers at each position in the American and National Leagues. Selections are based on a combination of offensive statistics including OBP, OPS, OPS+, home runs, hits, RBI, batting average as well as the managers’ and coaches’ general impressions of a player’s overall offensive value. The accounting firm of Mountjoy Chilton Medley LLP verified the tabulation of balloting.