Unbelievable MLB 2025 Forecasts: Will Pete Alonso Defy History and Riley Greene Dethrone Aaron Judge?

The last hitter to qualify for the batting title in a full 162-game season — Arraez has won three in a row, by the way — and strike out fewer than 20 times was Padres legend Tony Gwynn. Gwynn is the only hitter to do that in the past 30 years; he actually had five of those sub-20K seasons in his career, the last of which came in 1998, when he had 18 Ks in 505 plate appearances.

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This will be a difficult pace to maintain all season, even for Arraez. The Padres’ star would have to exceed even his best seasons. Arraez’s career low for strikeouts in a full season is 29 (last year), and in his three batting title seasons, he averaged 35. To cut his strikeouts down even that last bit, from 29 to 20, is a tall order. But if anyone can do it, it’s him. Remember, Arraez went on a 141-plate-appearance strikeout-less streak just last year. He hasn’t struck out more than three times in a month since June. And he’s Gwynn’s spiritual successor in San Diego — the lone player in today’s game who could approach the Hall of Famer in the skill of making contact.

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