Who is the new lead off hitter?

[bluestreak]

So the number 1 spot in the lineup seems to be cursed. Who is it going to be in Turner's absence? Goodwin? Taylor? Drew?  I have no idea.

[mitlen]

So the number 1 spot in the lineup seems to be cursed. Who is it going to be in Turner's absence? Goodwin? Taylor? Drew?  I have no idea.

Wow, my first thought was Michael A. Taylor.    Scared the hell out of myself.     How 'bout Goodwin?     Gotta have speed and other than him  ...

[tomterp]

Wow, my first thought was Michael A. Taylor.    Scared the hell out of myself.     How 'bout Goodwin?     Gotta have speed and other than him  ...

Goodwin makes as much sense as anyone.  The computer run optimizer model would probably say Harper, Rendon or Murphy.

[imref]

Goodwin until werth is back. 

[Ray D]

     Gotta have speed and other than him  ...

No, he don't gotta have speed. He gotta get on base.  He's OBPing at about .306, that's pathetic for a leadoff guy.

[Natsinpwc]

Kyle Schwarber.

[bluestreak]

No, he don't gotta have speed. He gotta get on base.  He's OBPing at about .306, that's pathetic for a leadoff guy.

This. Speed is overrated. That is old school thinking. Lead off is all about OBP (with or without reaching on errors  )

[mitlen]

This. Speed is overrated. That is old school thinking. Lead off is all about OBP (with or without reaching on errors  )

In that case, our all star 3rd baseman.     

[rileyn]

Move everybody up a spot.

Goodwin
Harper
Zimm
Murph
Rendon
Drew
Weiters
Taylor

[bluestreak]

http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=100&type=8&season=2017&month=0&season1=2017&ind=0&team=24&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&sort=13,d

Goodwin has a .342 OBP, which isn't bad. But I agree with Mitlen, Rendon is the choice.

[welch]

No, he don't gotta have speed. He gotta get on base.  He's OBPing at about .306, that's pathetic for a leadoff guy.

The classic answer: a guy who walks about 125 / 130 times a season, has about .400 OBP. Maybe an eye for the strike-zone so good that umpires let him call the close pitches. No swing = a ball. (Yes, that's Eddie Yost. He was real, and a few of us are old enough to have seen him.)

[mitlen]

http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=100&type=8&season=2017&month=0&season1=2017&ind=0&team=24&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&sort=13,d

Goodwin has a .342 OBP, which isn't bad. But I agree with Mitlen, Rendon is the choice.

I hope you don't think I'm down on Rendon.    I like him a lot.   However, I think he'd be best in 2nd spot.    He can work pitchers like Werth.

[Natsinpwc]

This. Speed is overrated. That is old school thinking. Lead off is all about OBP (with or without reaching on errors  )

So why was Turner batting leadoff then? Other guys get on base more than him.

[mitlen]

So why was Turner batting leadoff then? Other guys get on base more than him.

school

[Ray D]

I hope you don't think I'm down on Rendon.    I like him a lot.   However, I think he'd be best in 2nd spot. 

An ideal #2 is an on-base guy with power. That's Rendon.

[bluestreak]

So why was Turner batting leadoff then? Other guys get on base more than him.

Partly because Dusty is old school. Partly because while I said speed is overrated, that doesn't mean it's not a factor at all. Turner has otherworldly gamechanging speed. Only a couple of people in baseball have that speed. It makes up for deficiency in OBP. No one else on this team has that kind of speed so OBP is more important. Also, he has an OBP of .376 over last month. He was getting much better. And where else would you put him?

[Natsinpwc]

school

Rusty is with us brother.

[mitlen]

Rusty is with us brother.

Rusty's too young to be with me.     

[Natsinpwc]

Partly because Dusty is old school. Partly because while I said speed is overrated, Turner has otherworldly gamechanging speed. Only a couple of people in baseball have that speed. It makes up for deficiency in OBP. No one else on this team has that kind of speed so OBP is more important. Also, he has an OBP of .376 over last month. He was getting much better. And where else would you put him?

Fair enough; Billy Hamilton bats first and his OBP is terrible.  But when he gets on he disrupts; same as Trea.

[Natsinpwc]

Rusty's too young to be with me.     

Yea but he lit up with Hendrix.

[mitlen]

Fair enough; Billy Hamilton bats first and his OBP is terrible.  But when he gets on he disrupts; same as Trea.

That's my thing.   I know the leadoff guy has to get on but he has to be a disrupter when he is on.

[whytev]

Goodwin
Rendon
Harper
Zimmerman
Murphy
Taylor
Drew
Wieters

[bluestreak]

Goodwin
Rendon
Harper
Zimmerman
Murphy
Taylor
Drew
Wieters

What about when Werth comes back?

[mitlen]

What about when Werth comes back?

He'll need 100 at bats so I'd start him off at 6th or 7th.    But when he comes back   ....   who leads off?

[tomterp]

No, he don't gotta have speed. He gotta get on base.  He's OBPing at about .306, that's pathetic for a leadoff guy.

Goodwin's at .342