No team has enjoyed a hotter start to the 2025 MLB campaign than the San Diego Padres. Losing has been rare for them, and it's yet to happen at home. Naturally, they're oozing confidence, as demonstrated by standout first baseman Luis Arráez's iconic bat flip in their emphatic 10-4 series-opening victory over the Chicago Cubs.
Arráez practically brought his lumber to first base with him before flinging it up in the air following his 356-foot eighth-inning solo home run.
Luis Arraez carried his bat all the way down the first base line and then hit an epic bat flip 😳 pic.twitter.com/SHPIyOVebC
— MLB (@MLB) April 15, 2025
The three-time All-Star ostensibly knew the ball was gone from the moment he finished the swing and follow-through, igniting the San Diego crowd accordingly. It perfectly encapsulates the Padres' success thus far in the season.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
Luiz Arráez personifies the Padres' blistering start to 2025 with a stupendous bat flip
After capping off a 3-for-5 day at the plate with a dinger en route to defeating the National League Central-leading Cubs, Arráez demonstrably felt good. So much so that he trotted the bases with a little extra flare -- hang it in the Louvre!
Despite some early offensive struggles and facing a 3-1 deficit, the Padres surged late, scoring nine runs in their final three frames to prevail. Arráez was a big factor in the club's late-game eruption, generating a pair of extra-base hits and runs, including the mentioned homer. Chicago's bullpen had no answers for San Diego's mash unit batting order.
With their win against the Cubs, San Diego improved to 11-0 at Petco Park. That's the longest streak to open a year in franchise history and is tied for fourth in the Majors 'since at least 1900' (h/t AJ Cassavell of MLB.com). The Padres are making their mark on baseball and have looked like a force to be reckoned with.
San Diego looks to pose the biggest threat to their divisional rival and the reigning World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers. They're riding high and feeling good about it, illustrated by Arráez's epic celebration. The sky is the limit if the Padres can maintain this level of belief and on-field excellence.