Leading Off for the Atlanta Braves

Roster Restricted Lineup

Not withstanding the sudden discovery of his home run bat by Jeff Francoeur, Freddie Freeman is the only genuine power threat on the team and using any means possible to get men on base ahead of him makes sense.

That’s the job of the leadoff man of course but the Braves roster has one other distinct trait that plays into the decision to hit Smith ninth; it contains three players easily classified as leadoff men – Smith, Inciarte and Markakis.

None of these players can be considered a three hole hitter and while I’ve seen arguments that have validity in general, putting a second leadoff type lower in the order won’t work if there’s no one to drive him in. So, based on the way the current roster is structured, what difference does it make which of the three players hits first in the batting order?

Question: When is a leadoff man not a leadoff man?

Answer: After the first inning

The discussion about who should be leading off for the Braves now that Smith looks like he’s up to stay centers around getting him to the plate to start an inning. Many fans are vocal about wanting to see Smith’s name at the top of the lineup card but in reality hitting first in the lineup doesn’t mean you leadoff an inning more often.

Here’s a list of  Braves’ everyday players who have led off a game and an inning. As of last Thursday, Smith’s led off more innings than anyone on the roster other than Freeman and Markakis; both have appeared in a more games than Smith and Markakis leads him in appearances by a large margin .

Data from Baseball-Reference.com

Added to that is the way Smith has flourished in the nine hole, posting a .341/.349/.634/.983 line including 3 homers and 3 doubles when platooning against LHP; anther thing that irks fans.

Next: Why Platoon?