Los Angeles Dodgers are getting the lead-off spot all wrong

Dave Roberts has given us hints at what the Los Angeles Dodgers are going to do at lead-off this season and if the hinted is a reality, it is a mistake.

One of the biggest gripes about Dave Roberts is that the manager would field a different lineup for the Los Angeles Dodgers on a near-daily basis. That is likely going to be much different this year as the Dodgers have a set lineup that should stay rather consistent with minor tweaks throughout the year.

One of the constants appears to be at the lead-off spot as Roberts has dropped us hints at who the Dodgers are going to hit first on a daily basis.

If you have paid any attention as of late to the lineups that have been used in spring training you would notice that the newly formed left field platoon of Chris Taylor and Joc Pederson has been hitting lead-off.

More from LA Sports Hub

Eight of the last 10 spring training games have seen either Taylor or Pederson leading off, the two exceptions being A.J. Pollock against the Chicago Cubs and Max Muncy against the Chicago White Sox.

It is safe to say that is Dave Roberts’ plan moving forward, although it really should not be what the team does. Instead, that lead-off spot should belong to the newest Dodger, A.J. Pollock.

Pollock started the spring slow in the lead-off spot and has since seen himself fall to the middle portion of the order and it appears as if the team is going to try his hand hitting fifth in the order.

I certainly understand that logic. Getting a good right-handed bat to hit between Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy would make it much harder for teams to play matchups down the stretch.

While that logic makes sense it does not mean it is the best route the team can take. At the end of the day, Pollock is the only true traditional lead-off man on this team and his career .338 on-base percentage shows that.

Pederson does have a career on-base percentage one point higher than Pollock’s but had just a .321 on-base percentage a year ago. Taylor’s career on-base percentage is what it was a year ago: .331.

Pollock also brings speed and the ability to steal bases. Pederson is no slouch and Taylor is quick but neither are bonafide base stealers. Pollock may no longer be a 30 stolen base guy but he can easily get to 20 with a full healthy season.

Taylor is starting to heat up heading into the year and Pederson did do well as an unconventional power-hitting lead-off guy, I get that. However, the last thing the Dodgers really need is a power-hitting lead-off guy that is not going to be as reliable.

Sure, Pederson could start the game off with a blast but Pollock is more likely to get on base and make things happen for Justin Turner and Corey Seager. When it is all said and done, what Pollock brings to the table will likely produce more runs.

Pollock is no slouch when it comes to hitting home runs either and can still provide that same power-hitting presence atop the order.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers get a left-handed power-hitting bat that can hit fifth in the order against right-handed pitching and a solid right-handed bat that can split the left-handed bats against southpaws.

Next. What to do if Muncy regresses. dark

And most importantly: the Los Angeles Dodgers get a lead-off hitter that is going to be in the lineup every day, aside from the occasional day off. That appears to be a much smarter route than platooning the lead-off spot with no consistency.

Home/Los Angeles Dodgers