NEW YORK – Miami’s Luis Arraez joined DJ LeMahieu as the only players with undisputed batting titles in both leagues, winning the National League crown Sunday as Yandy Díaz sat out Tampa Bay’s season finale and overtook Corey Seager for the American League championship.
Arraez won the NL title at .354, a year after earning the AL crown at .316 for Minnesota. LeMahieu won with Colorado in 2016 and the New York Yankees in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
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Ed Delahanty hit .410 for the Philadelphia Phillies to win the NL batting championship in 1899 and is credited by some researchers with the 1902 AL crown at .376, while others accept Nap Lajoie as winning that title at .378 despite lacking the plate appearances required in more modern times.
Arraez did not start any of Miami’s last seven games because of a sprained left ankle and easily outdistanced Atlanta's Ronald Acuna Jr., who was second at .337. Arraez became the Marlins’ third batting champion after Hanley Ramirez in 2009 and Dee Strange-Gordon in 2015.
Díaz didn’t play Sunday after appearing as a pinch hitter the previous day and finished with a .330 average to become Tampa Bay's first batting champion. Seager led .3298 to .3295 at the start of the day but went 0 for 4 for Texas at Seattle and finished at .327.
Atlanta’s Matt Olson slugged his way to the major league home run title with 54, the highest total in the NL since Giancarlo Stanton hit 59 for Miami in 2017. Shohei Ohtani led the AL with 44 for the Los Angeles Angels despite playing in only 135 games, none after Sept. 3.
Olson also topped the majors with 139 RBIs, the most since Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera had 139 in 2012. Houston's Kyle Tucker led the AL with 112.
San Diego’s Blake Snell led the big leagues with a 2.25 ERA to win the NL title after pacing the AL at 1.89 for Tampa Bay in 2018. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole won his second AL ERA title at 2.63 after winning for Houston at 2.50 in 2019.
Atlanta’s Spencer Strider was the only 20-game winner at 20-5, while Toronto’s Chris Bassitt and Tampa Bay’s Zach Eflin tied for the AL lead with 17 wins each.
Strider (274) and the Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman (237) were first-time strikeout champions.
Acuña stole 73 bases, the highest total since José Reyes swiped 78 for the New York Mets in 2007, and hit 41 homers to become the first 40-70 player (as well as the first 30-60).
Oakland’s Esteury Ruiz led the AL with 67 steals. Totals were helped by the new pitch clock, rules limiting pickoff attempts, and larger bases, which decreased the distance between first and second, and between second and third, by 4 1/2 inches.
Braves batters hit 307 homers, tying the season record set by the 2019 Minnesota Twins.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb