There's something about Luis Arraez's presence in the batter's box that makes it seem like he could drop the bat and fling out some jazz hands at any moment.
It's almost choreography.
Swing. Step. Quarter turn. Step. Step. Slide. Hop. Criss-cross. Prisyadka. That's the squat-kick move from Russian folk dancing, which is likely not what the Venezuelan was trying to emulate. But the moves certainly are unmissable, especially when he vigorously shakes his head at a pitch outside the strike zone.
Those at-bat theatrics have garnered the 24-year-old admiration from fans since his 2019 rookie season, when he infamously pinch-hit for injured Jonathan Schoop down 0-2 in the count and joropo-ed (the national dance of Arraez's home country, obviously) his way to a walk.
"That kind of solidified what Luis Arraez was going to be," pitcher Taylor Rogers said, adding Arraez has become a favorite among the bullpen when it comes to imitating teammate tendencies. Though Rogers likely wouldn't enjoy those performances as much if he were pitching against Arraez, as Rogers said that is definitely a trash-talking — well, trash-dancing — tactic.
Rogers likened Arraez to Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto, who also makes his plate appearances whole-body workouts with his crouched over, catlike shuffles. But Arraez attests his head-shaking routines are completely original.
"It's mental. It gives me confidence," Arraez said. "I don't do it to be disrespectful to anybody. I just do it because it works for me. So I'm going to keep doing it because it works for me, and it's part of my game, and I don't feel like I have to change anything."
Arraez's three-season batting average (. 333) and on-base percentage (. 462) have made him a leadoff choice for the Twins, though he batted ninth against a lefthanded starter in Thursday's 10-2 victory against Seattle at Target Field. And whether he's the first batter up, the last, or pinch-hitting in the final inning, Arraez treats every outing as opening night.