MIAMI -- Luis Arraez may have found a new good-luck charm: his unborn daughter.

On April 9, for his 26th birthday, Arraez’s wife, Gladys, told him they were expecting their third child. Two days later, he hit for the first cycle in Marlins history. Prior to Friday’s series-opening win over the A’s, their daughters Emma and Esther joined Arraez’s teammates and coaches for a gender reveal at loanDepot park. The baby is due in November.

Arraez would go on to set career highs for hits (five) and RBIs (five) in the Marlins’ 12-1 victory over the A’s on Saturday at loanDepot park. He is the first player in franchise history to record five hits and five RBIs in the same game.

“It's emotional because I'm waiting for another baby,” Arraez said. “If the dad is happy, I’ve got to play good. Keeping my wife happy. I do a lot of good things, especially when we're waiting for another baby. I just want to do a lot of good things.”

Not only did Arraez increase his MLB-leading average to .390, but he also became the first Marlin to collect five hits in a game since Starlin Castro (Aug. 19, 2018). Arraez’s performance backed MLB Pipeline’s top pitching prospect Eury Pérez, who went five scoreless innings for the second straight start.

Since 2000, there have been four other occurrences of a qualified hitter with a .390 or better average through 59 team games:
Joe Mauer, 2009: .413
Chipper Jones, 2008: .409
Albert Pujols, 2003: .391
Todd Helton, 2000: .394

“When I was growing up, it was like Tony [Gwynn] and Wade Boggs and stuff, but right now, my generation playing, I don't remember a guy that hit like this,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “This guy's hitting almost .400. It's crazy. So I don't really have a comp to be honest, because I've never seen it.”

During a four-run second, Arraez produced an RBI single to center. He then broke the game open in the third with a bases-clearing double to left-center that Esteury Ruiz misread, giving the Marlins a 7-0 lead. In the fifth, Arraez knocked an RBI ground-rule double to right-center, and he capped his evening with a double off the right-center wall in the seventh.

Joey Wendle, who doubled twice during a three-hit showing for his first multihit game of the season, said his jaw drops every time Arraez outdoes himself in the batter’s box. After going hitless on Friday, Arraez told Wendle that the A’s better watch out, because he was going to rake on Saturday.

“He’s just a professional hitter,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “He controls the strike zone. You can tell every at-bat. With two strikes, he’s not panicked. He’s one of the best in the game right now, and he’s at the top of the order. There’s a lot of teams who haven’t been able to get him out this year.”

With this type of production, Arraez appears destined for his second straight All-Star appearance. Might Miami be inclined to pursue an extension? In early February, Arraez won his arbitration hearing to earn $6.1 million in 2023, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. It was his second year of arbitration eligibility.

When the Marlins dealt for the reigning American League batting champion in January to boost their lineup, they traded right-hander Pablo López from their pitching surplus. In April, Minnesota signed López to a four-year contract extension that will cover the 2024-27 seasons. Arraez has served as both a tablesetter and a run producer, something the club has greatly needed with Jazz Chisholm Jr., Garrett Cooper and Avisaíl García sidelined for extended time.

"We have not talked to Luis about an extension,” Marlins general manager Kim Ng said prior to Friday’s game. “We have done talks in-season [before]. It is more difficult to do it that way, but it doesn't necessarily preclude us from doing it."

Is that something that might interest Arraez?

“Everybody is hoping for that,” Arraez said. “It's money. That's why I work hard. But if she comes to talk to me, I'll be available. I just focus [on playing] baseball, and then try to give a lot of good things for the team. And then try to win a lot of games.”