Red Sox need to find a new leadoff hitter to set the table

The Boston Red Sox need to solve the leadoff hitter puzzle

The Boston Red Sox have just a collective 7.1 BB% and that is currently tied with the Los Angeles Angels at the bottom of the statistical barrel in the American League. Enrique Hernández is the most notable culprit with a .298 On-Base Percentage (OBP) at the leadoff position in the batting order. Hernández hitting just .240 does not add any gloss to the leadoff slot.

When Aerosmith recorded “Walk This Way” I am doubtful they had Eddie Yost in mind. Yost played 18 seasons in the majors, hitting just .254 but retiring with a .394 OBP. In 1956, Yost hit just .231 yet managed a remarkable .412 OBP. Dubbed “The Walking Man,” it was quite appropriate for his propensity to secure a base on balls. Six times Yost topped the American League in walks.

Matty Alou was an accomplished leadoff hitter and hit .307 for his career. Despite a 5.0 BB%, Alou still managed to have a .340 career OBP and .352 hitting first. You can set the table set without walking.

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The Red Sox have accomplished much offensively, but it tends to be erratic and unbalanced. In the movie Moneyball, Billy Beane points out the importance of OBP. The Red Sox do not have that at the very top. There is no table-setter. My mother would toss dinner parties and explained to me in far too great detail the importance of each dish as an introduction to the main course. Right now the Red Sox have Spam.

The main dish for Boston is the production that follows after leadoff. Alex Verdugo, J.D. Martin ez, Xander Bogaerts, and Rafael Devers are rib eye and not Spam. Entertainers want a solid opening act to set the stage for their performance. The current acts at the top of the order would get the quick hook in vaudeville.

Of note is Verdugo who is cemented into the number two slot in the order. For his career, Verdugo has a .289 batting average and .344 OBP hitting first. On their MLB 26-Man roster, there is little else to move around to shore up the first slot. No Dom DiMaggio, Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, or even Wade Boggs. All are among those who were the opening act during their careers.

MLBTR has their early edition of which players may be available for trade. Two names became my shiny keys. The first is Robbie Grossman of the Tigers. Grossman has been a long-time favorite with his first dog style. Grossman is a steady but far from the spectacular outfielder. He will not be defensively confused with Jackie Bradley Jr.

What Grossman does have is a 12.8 BB% for his career. Of note is his career .251 batting average is 100 points (.351) lower than his OBP. Grossman is a 32-year-old switch hitter who can also provide another needed ingredient – speed. Grossman is also working on a two-year $10 million contract. If the Tigers are shopping, maybe the Red Sox will buy?

Adam Frazier could solve two problems for Boston. Second base and leadoff. Frazier has a .270 career average and .330 career OBP as a leadoff hitter. The 29-year-old left-hand hitter can also play the outfield. The Pirates certainly fit the mold of a team willing to partner up, but the price may have become steep with Frazier having a career year.

The final possible option is nearby Worcester. Jarren Duran has speed – quite possibly the fastest runner in the organization. This season Duran has been far more selective at the dish with a 12.2 BB%. The lefty hitter has also hit some rockets out of his leadoff slot.

Rafael Devers is struggling to hit fastballs. dark. Next

Duran represents the future of Boston’s leadoff situation but the issue is to determine just when that future is? Duran would be cheaper on payroll and certainly in preventing the possible loss of players in acquiring Frazier or Grossman.

Stats through 06/02

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