Miami Marlins hitter is a favorite for a batting title according to MLB.com

Second baseman Luis Arraez recently lost an arbitration case against the Miami Marlins. With trades taking center stage as the off-season ends, a look ahead to the season and all the possibilities can be fun to do. MLB.com took a look ahead to the National League Batting Title race in 2024 and guess who they think might win again?! If you guessed Luis Arraez...you're right! Can he win again though?

Luis Arraez can win a second straight NL Batting Title with the Miami Marlins in 2024.

Luis Arraez was a hitting machine in 2023. He was hitting over .400 as late as June! In fact, his batting average was the highest in the Majors since then Texas Rangers CF Josh Hamilton in 2010. Hamilton batted .359 that season. Arraez actually beat division rival Atlanta Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr. by a stunning 17 points for the NL batting crown last season. Acuna had a .337 batting average in 2023 by the way.

I can confidently say that Arraez is the best contact hitter in the Major Leagues. His two batting titles over the last two seasons speak to that. He won one in the AL with the Minnesota Twins in 2022 of course, followed up by one last season with the Miami Marlins. It makes perfect sense to think that he can be at least in contention for one in 2024.

Luis Arraez does have competition and his biggest competitor is probably the aforementioned Ronald Acuna Jr. Acuna improved his strikeout rate and batted .337/.416/.596, in 159 games and 643 AB in 2023. He might even improve in 2024... I would still expect Arraez to do better as he's simply a better contact hitter. Acuna has a career .292 batting average and does ultimately have a career 22.0 strikeout %. Arraez has a career .326 batting average with a lowly 7.5 strikeout %.

Arraez and Acuna have some competition in Acuna's former teammate: Freddie Freeman. Freeman batted .331/.410/.567, with a career .301 batting average. I expect him to actually decline a bit in 2024.

We don't know if someone will break out in 2024 and become an elite contact bat, but until then Luis Arraez is the favorite to repeat as the National League batting champ.