Pick the Braves’ leadoff hitter (and why not Escobar?)
Nate McLouth: The likely pick.
Yunel Escobar: The intriguing option.
Johnny Damon is a Detroit Tiger, which means his wife Michelle will have to settle for tanning on the banks of Lake Michigan and the Braves don’t have a lot of great options for a leadoff hitter.
Now, we all know how this probably will go. Nate McLouth, who was acquired last season from Pittsburgh and proceeded to have one of the worst seasons of his career, almost certainly will be handed the job. Platoon outfielder Matt Diaz probably also will take a turn there. And who knows: If and when Jordan Schafer is ready to play every day in the majors, he could be the leadoff hitter the Braves haven’t had since Rafael Furcal left (and then didn’t come back).
Loading ...But until that happens, the Braves need to generate some offense, some excitement and have some sense of a threat at the top of the lineup. If you’ll permit me to think outside the box here for a moment, here’s an idea: Why not Yunel Escobar?
I know the biggest argument against it. Escobar has power and he can drive in runs so you want him in the middle of the lineup. But to me, that argument minimizes the importance of his ability to get on base, and also how important the leadoff position is. You may recall Escobar hit at the top of the order frequently in 2007 and 2008. His numbers were impressive.
Below, I’ve listed some statistics for four Braves — Diaz, Escobar, McLouth and Martin Prado — and how they fared as leadoff hitters in 2007, 2008 and 2009. I figure those are the four best options for the job this year. If you were to rank those four by on-base percentage from last season, it would go: Diaz (.390), Escobar (.377), Prado (.358) and McLouth (.354). If you were to rank them by batting average, it would be Diaz (.313), Prado (.307), Escobar (.299) and McLouth (.257).
What are you thoughts on this subject? Who should hit leadoff for the Braves?
Meanwhile, here are statistics for Diaz, Escobar, McLouth and Prado in the last three seasons when they hit at the top of the Braves’ order.
♦
2007 Avg AB R H HR RBI SB BB SO OBP SLG
Escobar .351 151 30 53 2 16 3 10 22 .400 .490
Diaz .250 12 0 3 0 3 0 0 2 .214 .333
Prado .083 12 1 1 0 0 0 1 2 .154 .083
♦
2008 Avg AB R H HR RBI SB BB SO OBP SLG
Escobar .285 158 21 45 4 18 0 18 21 .358 .392
Prado .267 30 5 8 0 3 0 3 4 .333 .433
♦
2009 Avg AB R H HR RBI SB BB SO OBP SLG
Diaz .439 41 7 18 1 5 1 5 11 .531 .585
McLouth .257 331 58 85 10 35 11 44 70 .351 .414
Escobar .091 11 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 .167 .091
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179 comments Add your comment
Jesse Stone
February 22nd, 2010
4:02 pm
Ray, I hardly parrot what anyone says, but I don’t believe we have enough power. You are assuming everyone will be healthy and each will have above average to breakout years. I totally agree with your 1:59 post, but i disagree here. It’s OK to not have a ton of power, as long as you play small ball. We do neither. We lost several 3-1 or 3-2 ballgames last year. I think we do the same in ‘10.
Calling people “dummies” because they don’t share your opinion is childish. They are opinions and will continue to be so until the season plays out.
its elementary,watson
February 22nd, 2010
4:12 pm
mclouth is the best option we have at leadoff. although he really don’t like it himself..wish we could find a way to infante there on an everyday basis.
tomahawkin down 75
February 22nd, 2010
4:12 pm
Did i just spot a reference to PERIMETER PEREZ??? LOL, dang Shultzie, you rollin’ the clock back a lil’ bit aintcha? I specifically remember watching the game he missed. So yea… i’m old. But anyway gimme Perimeter P, and Senor Smoke, and some Mad Hungarian Al Hrabosky and we got ourselves a pitchin’ Staff…
hop
February 22nd, 2010
4:35 pm
the season is already over before it even starts! the braves will finish lower in the final standings by falling to fourth in the east behind phillies,marlins,and mets.
this ownership does not give a flip about winning games,but only about controlling cost.
braves fans need to boycott this owership,if it has any hope of getting an ownership group that really cares about winning!
ugaaccountant
February 22nd, 2010
4:53 pm
Kashi – Other teams got better or stayed the same while we had to payroll dump. Our payroll in 2010 is smaller than 2009 because we’re not getting an insurance settlement. That caused us to cut loose multiple players in the prime of their career for players with more question marks —>
Laroche – Glaus
Soriano – Wagner
Gonzalez – Saito
KJ – nobody guaranteed to make the team
Church – nobody guaranteed to make the team
Then also Vasquez for Hudson/Melky/Prospects. At least this one netted good players. Still overall was a budget driven decision because if not for the money we could have kept Vasquez and Hudson and went out to the international market to sign Prospects.
So that’s what causes me to see 2010 as another rebuilding year, because if it was a contending year we wouldn’t have let so many prime of their career players walk to be replaced by players with more questions.
Mcook
February 22nd, 2010
5:12 pm
I like Prado to kick some azz this year. Beat out KJ easy last year…could break out and be huge in 2010.Why some of you see him so far down in the line up..I don’t get it.
rexroth
February 22nd, 2010
5:12 pm
FYI – Lake Michigan is on the other side of the state. Of course, after reading about Michelle Damon, we might be better off if she decides to stay over there.
billt
February 22nd, 2010
5:18 pm
Otis (my Man!) Nixon
Casey Stinkle
February 22nd, 2010
5:19 pm
If Infante is in the line-up, there’s your leadoff man. McClouth is not a true leadoff hitter, but if he stays healthy, should score alot of runs.
Christine
February 22nd, 2010
5:42 pm
I miss my Braves.
Coach (2011 or Bust)
February 22nd, 2010
5:47 pm
Escobar makes too much damn common sense which is exactly what Bobby Cox is missing
masivatack
February 22nd, 2010
5:54 pm
I think anyone who was even remotely paying attention last year would like to see Escobar lower in the order (5-6 or so). We need him hitting with folks on base. Our 2-4 hitters get on base a lot more than our 7-9 spots.
BigHittas
February 22nd, 2010
6:03 pm
Otis Nixon!
Tvest
February 22nd, 2010
6:04 pm
Escobar is no leadoff hitter.Worst baserunner on the team.Has to be Mclouth or Prado…
NYY
February 22nd, 2010
6:04 pm
We don’t care who our leadoff man is…..we just gonna pound the hell out of everybody. How ’bout them Big Apples?
GO BRAVES!!!! what a joke
Surrounded by Retards
February 22nd, 2010
6:08 pm
You guys are idiots bobby will go
1. McClouth (best option on opening day, did it in pitt)
2. Prado (natural 2 hitter and proven)
3. Chipper (no doubt)
4. Glaus (we brought him in to clean up)
5. McCann (name a player with better numbers in the 5 hole)
6. Esco (will drive in 85+ runs this year while hitting for avg)
7. Heyward (will post .285/.365/.485 clip)
8. Diaz (against lefties no clue vs rightys)
Bobby knows this lineup has its flaws but it sets up more opportunities to score runs than any other and as for the speed factor it doesnt take a jose reyes to steal bases it takes a runner with decent speed who knows how to read a pitcher
Alaska Braves Fan
February 22nd, 2010
6:18 pm
Dennis: Thank you!
ABF
Alaska Braves Fan
February 22nd, 2010
6:21 pm
Surrounded by Retards: What you said! I do see Cabrera sort of alternating with Diaz.
ABF
Ted Turner is a hack
February 22nd, 2010
6:25 pm
It really doesn’t matter.
Let’s start talking about the 2011 season.
gayle
February 22nd, 2010
6:25 pm
The whole Damon fiasco (yet another player uses the Braves for leverage) exposes the fact that public comments notwithstanding, Cox and Wren know they don’t have a viable leadoff hitter. But they both hold the company line trying to sell this team as a contender.
No leadoff hitter, no speed, no “big bopper” and an untested bullpen. That does not sound like a contender to me.
DamYankee
February 22nd, 2010
6:49 pm
Glad to see at least a few posters watched Diaz last year when he got his AB’s. Don’t know if he’s a good choice for leadoff (his hitting philosophy is if it moves, hack at it), but he should be somewhere in the lineup every day, and an added bonus is his “dirt” attitude, something the Braves have lacked since saying goodbye to Lemke.
John Tucker
February 22nd, 2010
7:01 pm
Jeffy, quit worrying about Braves’ leadoff man. Bobby Cox’s lieup shuffle did pretty well from July1, 2009 to the end of the season..
Even with Chipper hurt or nonproductive, the Braves scored more runs after July 1, 2009 than any team in MLB and had the best won-loss record of all MLB teams. So, Wren did not need to overhaul the Braves’ offense or find a leadoff man this off season. He just had to do a little tweaking. Over a whole season, Glaus, Heyward, Infante and Melky Cabrerra should be more consistent than LaRoche, Anderson, ahurt Schafer and Kelly Johnson. Moreover, if Chipper or Glaus falters, Infante iand Prado can fill in well offensively at the infield corners.
Damon would have just clogged up the outfield mix for Diaz, Heyward and Schafer.
AD
February 22nd, 2010
7:33 pm
Keep smoking that crack Schultz. Escobar hit like six trillion with runners in scoring position last year. Why would you take an AB away from him with no runners on to bat him leadoff? Makes no sense.
jazzyk
February 22nd, 2010
9:33 pm
Stats shmatz. All those guys have strengths, but there’s not a leadoff man in that group.
The braves need to trade for one or work real hard on getting Schaffer ready.
hal
February 22nd, 2010
10:03 pm
sonny that comment about ole latroy was the funniset thing i ever read he ran all the way toi washington now lkook whjat ya done lol
siskel_god
February 23rd, 2010
9:37 am
If Bobby had a guy who could steal bases he would let them steal! Remember Otis Nixon swiping 70 bags? What about Deion and Marquis Grissom? Rafael Furcal? Can we please stop bashing Bobby on things that aren’t true, the guy will be gone soon enough and you will realize just how good we had it for the last 20 years.
Brian
February 23rd, 2010
11:23 am
“Leadoff men”, “2-hitters”, and “cleanup hitters” aren’t as important as fans and blogs make them out to be. Putting a high-OBP guy 1st instead of 8th is probably worth a few runs a year. Enough to make the manager at least think about it, but not enough for people to obsess over. Batting orders are overrated.
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