If Straw can get on base 150-200 times this season in the nine hole. He may score 100 runs. And lead the league in SB’s
Agree. There is no way they should be entertaining batting Straw leadoff early in the season. If he demonstrates over 200 pa that he has made significant improvement and can consistently get on base 37% of the time, then make that move. But he should be 9th until he proves he can perform that well.
As many have responded to this tweet, Tucker is only one that remotely fills this bill unless Straw gets on base at a high clip. It also creates space between the LHBs.
That must be why he gets thrown out so much. Edit: I do think Altuve should be the favorite for batting leadoff as a likely person Click and Dusty can agree on.
He fits the description that Baker described. He gets on base and is a threat to steal. He doesn't have to steal.
The batters behind him don't get fastballs because he's not seen as a threat to steal. Opposing teams want him to try to steal.
Tucker is a very interesting lead off candidate. He stole 30 bases in AAA in 2019 so he’s enough of a baserunning threat to force pitchers into the stretch and get to 3B on a single. But his projected .325 OBP may not be good enough to justify putting him up there. RF Tucker 3B Bregman LF Brantley 2B Altuve DH Alvarez SS Correa 1B Gurriel C Maldonado/Castro CF Straw
I agree that Tucker would not be ideal unless he gets his OBP up considering others on team. He did improve a little during the year on taking more pitcher's pitches for strikes instead of weakly hitting a pitch on the outside corner early in the count. Here's to hoping that continues as he still swings too much at pitches he can't do much.
Straw is gonna have to get on base 38-40% of the time to justify hitting first in the order given his likely lack of power. He would be a perfect 9 hitter if he gets on well, but he should not see the most PA's on the team. I see nobody's had a talk with Dusty yet about modern lineup structure, he just inherited Springer hitting leadoff and didn't change it.
He's only the 51st best player in MLB per the official rankings... while Springer is 20th.... nothing to see here, fake news....
Why all the emphasis on Jose's throwing arm? Is that really going to come into play all that often this season?
I talked about having tucker lead off last year.(Maybe 2 after springer lol , I can’t remember) now , this year , the roster is a bit different . I think he could still be a good fit at the top of the order is straw our starting CF ? Who else is in camp competing for innings there ? imo if the rest of our lineup is great and straw Is bad and our rotation looks good enough to win , that’s a spot we could upgrade . but for now ... tucker Bergman Brantley Correa Yordan Yuli Straw Maldonado Tuve if tuve heats up we can switch him with straw or move him above yuli . I don’t mind dusty changing the lineup every now and then . He did it a bit last year , I think guys can handle it . It can get in an opponents head more than guys are going to be thrown off not hitting in a certain spot . but I like my guess . Tucker showed a good eye . Bregman can be a monster . Brantley is maybe a reach over Correa , but LRLR and is consummate pro . Correa self explanatory. Yordan returns to form if not better . Have to bat Cubans back to back . Straw is better at beating out double plays than tuve (you can argue tuve is just a plain better hitter ) . Maldonado and tuve is toss up for 8/9 . If Maldonado ends and inning you have tuve leading off the next .. unless it was the last out , then oops I guess .
im not sure I agree with dusty’s analysis on #2 . I understand the reasoning , but am interested if the stats bear it out . I’m sure it’s harder to throw out a runner on a breaking pitch . On first pitch there’s probably no tangible disadvantage to throwing a breaking ball for a strike . In fact , if we are really expecting fastball and expecting to swing then a first pitch off speed could actually harm us . make other teams execute and rely on the batters eye . I mean , it’s obviously an advantage to have fast guys on base . If you could magically make every guy a 99 speed , you would .