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See the full story · 1 sourcesBryce Harper has benefitted from trade for Luis Arraez more than any Phillies hitter originally appeared on The Sporting News .
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The Philadelphia Phillies traded for Luis Arraez one week ago today, on Monday, August 3. Arraez didn't arrive in Philadelphia until Tuesday, but since then, he's become beloved by the fan base and has made a big impact on the club.
While there have been some mixed results in the win-loss column, there's no denying that Arraez has been a positive presence in the Phillies' lineup. But there's one player who's benefited more than any other with his addition.
Matt Gelb of The Athletic highlighted how he thinks Bryce Harper "likes" having Arraez hit behind him. Based on Harper's statistics since Arraez came to the club a week ago, Harper has really turned a corner offensively.
Bryce Harper might be benefiting more than any Phillies' hitter from Luis Arraez trade
"I think Bryce Harper likes Arraez hitting behind him," Gelb writes. "Harper has hit .263/.517/.474 in 29 plate appearances since Arraez joined the Phillies."
The MLB trade deadline was on August 3, and Arraez arrived and was in the lineup the very next day. So, the Phillies and Harper have played in six games since Arraez joined the team.
As Gelb notes, Harper's slash line is in a very good spot. But, across those 29 plate appearances, the thing that stands out more than anything else is Harper's 10 walks.
Walking 10 times in a six-game span is a very good pace for Harper, who came into the season expressing a desire to be more patient at the plate.
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Harper's .991 OPS in the last six games is great, but the 10 walks and .517 on-base percentage are very noteworthy. He's now able to be very patient, as he can trust Arraez to put the ball in play behind him.
Whether it's a walk to advance a runner ahead of him or to get on base, Harper has been taking more walks than ever since Arraez came to Philadelphia.
This 10-walk stretch with Arraez is the most Harper has walked across a six-game span this season. He's up to 78 walks this year, which is more than the 70 he had last year in 580 plate appearances compared to 505 this season.
If Harper can be more patient, chase less, and rely on Arraez behind him, this Phillies offense will be in a much better spot.
No hitter on this team has benefited from the Arraez addition more than Harper, as even though he's back in the outfield, his offense has taken a huge leap forward.
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