Edwin Arroyo’s “Sneaky Power” Has Him Rising To The Occasion
As graduation season comes to a close, many 21 and 22-year-olds now have an endless number of possibilities ahead of them in their careers. But there’s one 22-year-old who may have the most direct and exciting path, and that’s Edwin Arroyo. Arroyo has already established himself as one of the
As graduation season comes to a close, many 21 and 22-year-olds now have an endless number of possibilities ahead of them in their careers. But there’s one 22-year-old who may have the most direct and exciting path, and that’s Edwin Arroyo.
Arroyo has already established himself as one of the best hitters at the Triple-A level in the 2026 season. With recent domination at the plate, he looks to help the Bats make a run for a first-half title.
Arroyo has torn the cover off the ball in May, hitting .348 with 33 RBI, 10 home runs, and 23 total extra-base hits. His fantastic play during the month has placed him among the leaders of the International League. Arroyo stands as the leader in hits (65), total bases (113), and triples (5), while also joining leaders in runs (2nd, 39), slugging percentage (3rd, .604), OPS (4th, 1.012), and batting average (T-4th, .348).
Double-digit home runs for Edwin Arroyo! pic.twitter.com/xlArZeLama
— Louisville Bats (@LouisvilleBats) May 21, 2026
Arroyo has certainly shown off power in past years, reaching 13 homers with High-A Dayton in 2023. But that was through an almost entire regular season of 119 games. With Arroyo’s Bats tenure at 46 games so far, that career-high number is in danger.
Who can he credit for this surge lately? A coach who has, quite literally, been there since day one.
“The only coach I really talk to, especially about hitting, is my dad,” Arroyo said. “He's always helped me, even since I got drafted. I keep communicating with him, and he watches every game. The main thing is just trying to be consistent. Right now, it's happening, so I gotta keep going.”
Arroyo’s dad, also named Edwin, has been an integral part of his baseball career for as long as he can remember. Part of that teaching involved the utilization of Arroyo’s ambidextrous ability, both at the plate and in the field. In his youth, his dad worked with him on throwing with his left arm after an injury to his right arm.
Although he’s retired the left arm in the field for the time being, Arroyo’s switch-hitting ability has proven to be a difference maker for the Bats. He’s favored the left side this season, hitting .379 with eight home runs so far, but has been holding his own right-handed, slashing .255 with two homers from that side as well. Louisville manager Pat Kelly has welcomed the opportunity of switch-hitting in his lineup and has taken notice of Arroyo’s talent.
“I think you don't see a lot of young shortstops that show that kind of bat from both sides of the plate,” Kelly said. “He's got some sneaky power, and you see a guy that's that good a defender, and then there's some offense also, it's very exciting.”
The Bats are lucky Arroyo can call Louisville home, for it didn’t initially look like that would be the case. A native of Arecibo, Puerto Rico, Arroyo was drafted out of high school by the Mariners in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft. However, he lasted just one season before getting dealt to the Reds in a trade that sent Luis Castillo to Seattle.
Arroyo relished in his new organization, quickly rising to Double-A Chattanooga in 2023 at just 19. He was poised to continue his momentum the following year and potentially get a shot at joining the Bats for the first time. However, an injury during a spring training game derailed his progress, as he suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder, sidelining him for the entire 2024 season.
Still, Arroyo could take away some positives.
“It was not easy being in Arizona all year,“ he said. “It was hot, I probably wanted to be done with it and get back in the field. But I'm a big follower of Jesus, so that helped me get closer to him and be a better human. That's the way I look at it, a positive way.”
Despite the setback, Arroyo looked comfortable in his return to the diamond with Chattanooga in 2025, hitting .284 with 44 RBI, 23 doubles, 12 stolen bases, four triples, and three homers while leading the Lookouts to the Southern League playoffs. With a full season under his belt after his shoulder issues, a promotion to the Bats to start 2026 was a no-brainer.
“It was great,” he said. “Competing in that is something every athlete dreams about, and I'm thankful I went to it. There were a lot of veterans, big leaguers, and all that. A lot of legends from Puerto Rico. It was nice to be around them and the good vibes.”
Arroyo’s performances may not come as a shock to those who have observed his career thus far. In fact, to Bats coach Vince Harrison, this breakout was going to happen sooner rather than later.
“He has the physical tools to be able to get himself to the next level,” Harrison said. “I've been around a little bit, and he's very coachable, very receptive. I gave major, major props to him. He has been super receptive to anything and everything I've thrown at him, and accepted the challenges.”
Luckily for Arroyo, he has some of the game’s most experienced coaches refining his tools while he’s one stop away from the Cincinnati Reds. Harrison has over 12 years of Minor League coaching experience, and with a former track record as an infielder, has aided Arroyo’s development on the defensive side.
The connection with Harrison has blossomed quickly through the first few months of action in Louisville. Both can be seen chatting it up during batting practice often, with Harrison offering a point of advice along the way.
“I want to make sure we're checking on the boxes, making sure we go about things with the right mindset, and address the things that people probably don't want to address,” Harrison said. The phrase that I use with him is ‘I want you to get to the big leagues and never come back.’ So when you get there, it's not “This guy can't play in the big leagues. It's ‘This guy's ready to be here every day for the rest of his career.’”
Arroyo may be the second-youngest player on the Louisville Bats roster, but that’s not keeping him from making early contributions to a team in the hunt for a postseason bid. Louisville is currently two games out of first place in the first half with a 27-21 record. But ultimately, his dream extends beyond the Triple-A level, with a call to the big leagues atop his priorities.
“That's the dream, that's what I've always worked for,” he said. “So I have to keep going, do my best, control what I can, and wait until they make their move.”