Ian Desmond will be the Nats shortstop for 2012. He will begin the year as the lead-off man, whether or not he stays there for 2012 is very much up in the air. So far this spring he is just 3 for 20 and 0 walks. Zero. His OBP is a paltry .150 with 7 Ks in 20 ABs. These are not the numbers you want to see out of your lead-off man, even if it is spring training. So maybe its time we talk about possible plan Bs. Here are several possible scenarios for names you might see at the top of the line-up card should Desmond have a less than stellar April and May.
Danny Espinosa: Last year he got on-base at a .323 clip, not ideal. But he is speedy, a switch hitter, and perhaps with a lead-off hitters approach and mindset he could train himself to walk more and see more pitches he could see both his OBP and SLG %s rise. I believe he would be the first plan B should Desi fail in the 1 hole.
Jayson Werth: He was signed by the Nats to be a run-producer in the middle of the line-up. But perhaps he will end up having more value as a guy with a lifetime .360 OBP. He is athletic and smart and could adapt to the strategies of the lead-off spot. With Zim, Morse and eventually Bryce, he may not be counted on as much to drive in runs, freeing him up to lead-off.
Rick Ankiel: If we get this far down the Plan B hierarchy...we are in trouble. But I believe in a man named Rick Ankiel. He is an athlete, he knows how pitchers think and can jump start an inning with an extra-base hit. He hit for a .340 OBP back in 2008 and is capable of stealing bases. He strikes out too much, but again, this would definely be a stop-gap solution.
Unnamed Player Traded For: Rizzo wants that long term solution for CF and the lead-off spot. The MLB Trade Rumor heat has died down somewhat on Nats trading for a CF, but that's when it seems Rizzo strikes. It would not shock me in the least if at some point before April 5 Mike swings a deal for a young outfielder with high OBP potential.
On a roster with plenty of talent, the lead-off spot has to worry Davey Johnson and Mike Rizzo. If Ian Desmond proves incapable of holding down the lead-off spot, the cupboard is pretty bare when it comes to OBP and speed. So Nats fans, hold your breath for Ian Desmond and cross your fingers for Mike Rizzo and the CF trade market.
Showing posts with label lead off. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lead off. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Roger Bernadina: The Lead-Off Man of Our Dreams?
(Screenshot captured from MLB.com)One of the major issues that has faced the Washington Nationals lineup this season, and there have been seemingly countless issues, is the lack of a lead off hitter. The Ian Desmond Lead Off Experiment failed (hitting just .180/.212/.300 when batting first), and so did the Danny Espinosa (.184/.250/.329 batting first) Experiment. But Roger Bernadina provides reason for hope.
Bernie's career as a nearly full-time player started last season, where he was an extremely streaky hitter, ending the season with 11 HR, but a disappointing .246/.307/.384 slash line. He found his way back to the minors a couple times during the season.
This year, one wonders if Roger will have to make that lonely trip to Syracuse again. This week in DC has been full of successes. Since replacing the injured Rick Ankiel in CF, Bernadina is hitting .306 and is getting on base at a .405 clip. He's successfully stolen 4 bases without being caught. Sure, Bernadina hasn't hit for power yet (he's homerless this season), but who with the great OBP and stolen base successes, who cares?
Now this is the point where we have to say this: all of this is over a very small sample size. And as we said before, Bernie is a streaky hitter. But everyone that's watched the Nats since Bernadina took over the lead off spot is fully aware of the kind of boost he can provide for the offense, and defensively for that matter. (See image above.)
Bernadina has reached base to lead off the game by bunting in 3 games in the past week. That's the perfect sign of Bernadina accepting his new role and sacrificing his power for it. When he's taking swings, he's choked up on his bat, too. He's trying to make contact and use his speed to get on base and make stuff happen.
While in your ideal world, everyone would have Ichiro or Andrew McCutchen leading off for your ball club, it's not realistically attainable. Roger Bernadina seems to be the right fit for the Nationals, and my guess is that Jim Riggleman will be committed to keeping Roger in that spot, even after Ankiel returns from the DL.
What do you think of The Shark as a lead off man, Cap Ballers?
Bernie's career as a nearly full-time player started last season, where he was an extremely streaky hitter, ending the season with 11 HR, but a disappointing .246/.307/.384 slash line. He found his way back to the minors a couple times during the season.
This year, one wonders if Roger will have to make that lonely trip to Syracuse again. This week in DC has been full of successes. Since replacing the injured Rick Ankiel in CF, Bernadina is hitting .306 and is getting on base at a .405 clip. He's successfully stolen 4 bases without being caught. Sure, Bernadina hasn't hit for power yet (he's homerless this season), but who with the great OBP and stolen base successes, who cares?
Now this is the point where we have to say this: all of this is over a very small sample size. And as we said before, Bernie is a streaky hitter. But everyone that's watched the Nats since Bernadina took over the lead off spot is fully aware of the kind of boost he can provide for the offense, and defensively for that matter. (See image above.)
Bernadina has reached base to lead off the game by bunting in 3 games in the past week. That's the perfect sign of Bernadina accepting his new role and sacrificing his power for it. When he's taking swings, he's choked up on his bat, too. He's trying to make contact and use his speed to get on base and make stuff happen.
While in your ideal world, everyone would have Ichiro or Andrew McCutchen leading off for your ball club, it's not realistically attainable. Roger Bernadina seems to be the right fit for the Nationals, and my guess is that Jim Riggleman will be committed to keeping Roger in that spot, even after Ankiel returns from the DL.
What do you think of The Shark as a lead off man, Cap Ballers?
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