Why Adam Jones Should Lead Off Again For The Orioles In 2017

[PressBoxOnline]

Adam Jones posted a .282 batting average and .320 OBP while batting leadoff for the Orioles last season, and Rich Dubroff says the center fielder remains the team's best option.

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/02/06/why-adam-jones-should-lead-off-again-for-the-orioles-in-2017

[25 Nuggets]

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, PressBoxOnline said:

Adam Jones posted a .282 batting average and .320 OBP while batting leadoff for the Orioles last season, and Rich Dubroff says the center fielder remains the team's best option.

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/02/06/why-adam-jones-should-lead-off-again-for-the-orioles-in-2017

282/320

302/382

Hmmm...

Side note it just kills me when guys who write about baseball for a living spout stuff about how a guy performed in a particular lineup position as if it had any real analytical value.

Oh and for the record

Quote

Placing Kim second, where he had the most success last season

OPS by lineup position.

1st - 611

2nd- 720

3rd- 1000

6th- 833

7th- 1500

8th- 1053

9th- 1094

Of course the sample size is too small to mean anything, but that didn't stop Dubroff  so I'm not letting it stop me.

[big_sparxx]

if we're not going to run, it makes little difference who hits leadoff. Personally I'd rather AJ hit lower, thus removing any temptation he might have for going crazy.

[mrbig1]

I would rather have Rickard at leadoff. He seems to be the sparkplug we need, He works the count. Making pitchers work are not something we were very good at.

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, mrbig1 said:

I would rather have Rickard at leadoff. He seems to be the sparkplug we need, He works the count. Making pitchers work are not something we were very good at.

Why Rickard over Kim?  Kim has consistently tougher at bats than Rickard.

[Frobby]

37 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Why Rickard over Kim?  Kim has consistently tougher at bats than Rickard.

Depends what you mean by tough at bats.    Rickard averaged 4.33 pitches, Kim 4.01.   If that's the measure, Rickard's at bats were tougher.    But they didn't result in getting on base as often.

[Spy Fox]

To me it's pretty obvious that Kim or Smith should be leading off. Machado is the only other player I'd even consider. Jones should be 5th after Kim, Machado, Davis, Trumbo.

I don't reject outright the idea that some players could be more comfortable in certain positions, leading to improved performance. I think player psychology is maybe an underappreciated aspect of the game these days. But still, those matters of comfort are very difficult to prove and it would take pretty conclusive and specific data to convince me to forget about more general-case rules of good strategy.

[backwardsk]

1 minute ago, Spy Fox said:

To me it's pretty obvious that Kim or Smith should be leading off. Machado is the only other player I'd even consider. Jones should be 5th after Kim, Machado, Davis, Trumbo.

I don't reject outright the idea that some players could be more comfortable in certain positions, leading to improved performance. I think player psychology is maybe an underappreciated aspect of the game these days. But still, those matters of comfort are very difficult to prove and it would take pretty conclusive and specific data to convince me to forget about more general-case rules of good strategy.

As of now, I prefer Kim at lead off and Smith in the sixth spot.  Rickard leads off against lefties and Schoop moves up to six.

Granderson is the only one outside of the organization that is realistically available that I'd put in the lead off spot instead. 

[Spy Fox]

12 minutes ago, backwardsk said:

As of now, I prefer Kim at lead off and Smith in the sixth spot.  Rickard leads off against lefties and Schoop moves up to six.

Granderson is the only one outside of the organization that is realistically available that I'd put in the lead off spot instead. 

I'd prefer Manny at leadoff against lefties but I'm okay with giving Rickard a shot at it if he ends up filling that platoon role. I'd just have him on the proverbial short leash because I suspect Kim might be a better hitter even against lefties. 

And yeah, I continue to think that Granderson would be a really nice addition. I doubt we have the cash required. 

[El Gordo]

Kim/Rickard, a no brainer. OBP!

[Tx Oriole]

I rather it be Kim than AJ. 

[MDtransplant757]

4 hours ago, mrbig1 said:

I would rather have Rickard at leadoff. He seems to be the sparkplug we need, He works the count. Making pitchers work are not something we were very good at.

Rickard vs LHP or Kim vs RHP

[Just Regular]

Castillo vs. LHP to me is the best fit.  Unlike many other Orioles, he is a pretty wide platoon split guy, and that gives him the best chance at three looks against the starter.  

[MDtransplant757]

27 minutes ago, OrioleDog said:

Castillo vs. LHP to me is the best fit.  Unlike many other Orioles, he is a pretty wide platoon split guy, and that gives him the best chance at three looks against the starter.  

And have Joey 2nd. I like your thinking.