Red Sox: Kike Hernandez embraces the challenge of batting leadoff

Kike Hernandez wants to hit at the top of the Red Sox lineup

The Boston Red Sox struggled to fill the void at the top of their lineup last season without a player who fits the mold of the prototypical leadoff hitter. Nobody was clamoring to fill the shoes of Mookie Betts as the table-setter for the lineup. Alex Verdugo reluctantly accepted the role midway though the shortened season but changes to the batting order are expected with Boston’s revamped lineup, starting at the top.

While most have shied away from the task, Kike Hernandez is eager to embrace the challenge of leading off for the Red Sox. He has hit in that spot in all eight games that he’s started this spring and he has no desire to leave that role, according to MassLive’s Christopher Smith.

“I like hitting leadoff. I’m not going to lie to you,” Hernández said. “I want to hit leadoff. Alex (Cora) challenged me to earn that spot. And I feel like when I hit in the first inning, I’m a little bit more involved in the game. And it also gives me a chance to see the starting pitcher maybe a third time.”

Hernandez has seen limited time in the leadoff spot in his career with middling results. In 290 career plate appearances as a leadoff hitter, Hernandez is batting .250/.306/.470 with 14 home runs and four stolen bases. Some pop at the top of the lineup would be a welcome addition but the leadoff hitter’s main priority is getting on base, which Hernandez has done at an underwhelming rate when serving in this role.

The early returns this spring have been far more promising though. Hernandez is hitting .429/.600/.857 with a home run and three doubles in 14 at-bats.

Spring training results should be taken with a grain of salt but the adjustments that he’s making to adapt to the leadoff spot are encouraging. Manager Alex Cora noted that Hernandez had a tendency to expand the strike zone when he got ahead in the count. He’s putting an emphasis on plate discipline this spring given the importance of the leadoff hitter getting on base rather than hacking away looking for the big hit to drive in runs.

“When I can stay in the strike zone, I’m a lot better hitter than when I’m just going out there and swinging at whatever pitch is coming,” Hernández said. “That’s something I’m trying to do this spring: from the first pitch of the game, I want to put myself in a 2-0, 3-1 count. I’m not just swinging to swing. I want to get a pitch I can do some damage on. So far I’ve been doing a pretty good job. I’ve been working on it, trying to stay in the strike zone because I know if I start hacking, and not seeing too many pitches, or getting out of the strike zone, I know that’s not going to help my cause to be the leadoff hitter on this team.”

Hernandez joked that it usually takes him 100 at-bats to get to the five walks he’s already drawn this spring in only 19 plate appearances. He knows that the talented bats behind him are capable of driving in runs so if Hernandez focuses on reaching base anyway he can, he’ll have an excellent chance of scoring 100+ runs for the first time in his career.

The job of a leadoff hitter also entails taking pitches so that the teammates hitting behind him can get a look at what the opposing pitcher is working with. This level of patience is a different approach from what Hernandez has used in the past but the uptick in walks is an encouraging sign that shows he’s capable of it.

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One factor that has us questioning if Hernandez can thrive as a full-time leadoff hitter is his wide platoon splits. He’s a career .263/.345/.474 hitter in his career against lefties. The batting average is a bit underwhelming but the solid OBP would suffice for a leadoff hitter. Only 25 qualified American League hitters topped a .345 OBP last season.

His .222/.286/.386 line against right-handed pitching leaves a lot to be desired though. Hernandez would need to drastically improve those numbers to be trusted in the leadoff spot against a right-hander, which means most of the starting pitchers the team will face.

The Red Sox have ignored these splits when plugging Hernandez into the lineup this spring against any type of pitcher and the results have been promising. His lone home run this spring came against a right-handed pitcher..

It’s clear that Cora is willing to trust Hernandez to be in the lineup against both right- and left-handed pitchers, or at least give him the opportunity to prove he can do it. His revised approach that emphasizes plate discipline should help, as should the consistent at-bats. Hernandez has been used as a part-time platoon player at various points in his career. His struggles against right-handers might be partially tied to a lack of consistent opportunities against them. A solidified role as an everyday player at the top of the lineup would feasibly lead to improvement.

Spring training is the time to experiment with the batting order. With a lack of viable alternatives for the leadoff role, Hernandez is determined to claim the spot for himself. He’s been impressive so far this spring and if that trend follows him into the regular season, Hernandez could be in for a career year.