Luis Arraez has quickly established himself as one of the top contact hitters in Major League Baseball since making his debut with the Minnesota Twins in 2019. While still early in his career, Arraez has shown a gift for consistently putting the ball in play and showing excellent batting instincts at the plate. His eye-popping batting average and on-base skills have already made him a favorite of both Twins fans and baseball card collectors.

Arraez signed with the Twins as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2013 when he was just 16 years old. He spent several years developing in the Twins minor league system before getting his first big league call up at the end of the 2018 season. While he only got into 5 games that year, Arraez started to turn heads and generate buzz within the Twins organization with his pure hitting ability.

In 2019, Arraez claimed a spot on the Twins opening day roster and began to showcase why many scouts felt he had the potential to be a .300+ hitter at the major league level. Over 92 games in his rookie campaign, Arraez hit an eye-popping .334 with a .399 on-base percentage. He struck out just 20 times all year while collecting 27 runs batted in. Arraez’s performance earned him American League Rookie of the Month honors in both August and September and cemented his place in the hearts of Twins fans.

From a baseball card collecting perspective, Arraez’s rookie season established him as an intriguing young player to watch. Many of his 2019 rookie cards have increased significantly in value due to how impressive he looked at the plate in his inaugural MLB campaign. Some of his top rookie cards from 2019 include:

2019 Topps Base: Arraez’s base rookie card from Topps is one of the more common versions available. Still, the card holds value as his true rookie issue and can often be found in the $5-10 range.

2019 Bowman Chrome Prospects Refractor Auto /150: One of Arraez’s more coveted rookie autos, this short printed Bowman refractor auto captures Arraez as a rising Twins prospect. In top grade, the card has sold for over $200.

2019 Topps Chrome Refractor Auto /99: Also an ultra-short printed auto, Arraez’s Topps Chrome rookie refractor commands big money. Higher graded examples have traded hands for $300+ given the card’s vintage and low serial number.

2019 Stadium Club Chrome Auto /50: An especially rare Arraez rookie auto limited to just 50 copies, Stadium Club Chrome versions routinely sell for $400-500 even in lower grades.

While the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season was a bit of a statistical down year for Arraez, his batting cards were still highly desirable holds. He truly regained rookie season form at the plate in 2021. Over 126 games, Arraez posted a league-leading .319 batting average to go along with 7 home runs and 44 runs batted in. Even more impressively, he struck out only 22 times all season while drawing 39 walks.

Arraez’s phenomenal 2021 campaign where he reasserted himself as one of MLB’s premier contact hitters led to increased demand for his cards across the board. Some notable pieces from 2021 that have taken off include:

2021 Topps Base: An incredibly affordable PC piece at under $5, Arraez’s base card captured the essence of his standout ‘21 season for collectors.

2021 Topps Chrome Rainbow Foil Factory Set #/150: Extremely tough to pull, these rare parallel set cards showcase Arraez in bright color. Higher grades have sold for $250+.

2021 Topps Chrome Sapphire Refractor Auto /66: A true “hit” card, Arraez’s Sapphire auto captured the allure of his .319 average. Even raw versions command $500+.

2021 Topps Definitive Collection Auto Patch /99: Sought after for its on-card auto and game-used swatch, the rare Definitive patch auto has sold for over $800.

Heading into 2022, Arraez remains as one of the top young talents in the Twins organization and a favorite of baseball card collectors. At just 25 years old, he continues to prove himself as a consistent, elite level contact hitter who many feel has All-Star caliber potential. With his proven track record at the plate already and his cards gaining value based on production, Arraez is poised to be one of the most popular Twins to collect moving forward. His sterling plate appearances and knack for hitting will surely lead to many more unbelievable performances and highly treasured baseball cards capturing those moments for years to come.