KC Royals: It’s Time for Ned Yost to Choose a New Leadoff Man

With all of the offensive blues the team has been going through, change might be a good thing. Only three KC Royals starters have a lower batting average than leadoff man Alex Gordon, which brings up the conversation of placing a new man on top. Remember, change is a good thing. 

I’m going to start off by saying Alex Gordon is a great player, and has been a great player for the KC Royals for a number of years. However, the .220 batting average from last year has carried into 2017, and that is not what the KC Royals need for an already struggling offense. Ned Yost has made it clear that he doesn’t like to change his lineup often, but the KC Royals simply can’t be a winning team with a leadoff man hitting below the Mendoza line. Alex Gordon is currently hitting .196 with zero home runs and four RBI’s through the first fourteen games which aren’t ideal stats for the man at the top of your lineup.

If you have watched the KC Royals at all this season, you have probably realized that the team is struggling tremendously on offense. Not only is Eric Hosmer barely hitting above .200, but Brandon Moss only had three hits before last nights contest. It could be argued that Mike Moustakas, Salvador Perez, and Lorenzo Cain have been provided all the production for the Royals so far. The main problem this team has is hitting with runners in scoring position. They own a .160 average with runners in scoring position which is last in baseball. Every home run the team hits feels like a solo shot and if the starters weren’t pitching lights out the team could be in trouble. The solution? Sorry Ned, but the lineup needs to change.

A case could be made for a number of people to be the new leadoff man, and each of those possibilities will be covered. Here are the top three.

Lorenzo Cain

This selection could be seen as a weird one, and I get that. Lorenzo should be in the third or fourth spot driving in runs, and I understand that argument. However, he can’t drive in runs if no one is on base. Cain only has three RBI’s through the first 14 games, despite an average of .347. This is why putting him at the top of the order to get more people on the base paths could be exactly what the Royals need to get more runs across the plate. Leading the team in walks with 12, twice as many as anyone else, a disciplined hitter at the top of the lineup could help the team feed off of his production.

Although not a power threat, Cain has better than average speed that allows him to get infield hits; a trait Gordon doesn’t possess. In eight less at bats this season than Gordon, Cain has gotten six more hits and struck out two less times. Until the Royals consistently get men on for Lorenzo to drive in, maybe they should look for him to be the rally starter.

Whit Merrifield

The newly called up fan favorite had a more than productive first game with a home run, single, and two walks. Besides for a slump late last year, Merrifield has shown to be a fairly productive hitter with a career .283 batting average. With decent speed and plate discipline, Whit could potentially be the leadoff man the Royals have desperately been trying to find. Whit has constantly shown up when needed and get can get a base hit when called upon. The most important quality a leadoff man can have is getting on base, and Whit has proven he can do that.

Verdict

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Now I’m not sure a change will ever come, but the best new leadoff man in my opinion would be Mike Moustakas. Only moving up one spot in the lineup wouldn’t change too much to the batting order. But it could be exactly what the team needs to get some extra chances with RISP. Moustakas has become one of the better hitters on the team, and with the ability to hit for power, after one pitch the KC Royals could have a lead.

So far, Gordon hasn’t done his job as a leadoff hitter and the Royals need to think about switching it up. Maybe Mike Moustakas can be the fresh start this team needs to wake up the offense.