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George Springer is not the lead off man the Houston Astros need

By Josh Sippie

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George Springer made his return to the Houston Astros in the series opener against the Minnesota Twins, a game the Astros won 8-0. The eccentric right fielder got started right where he left off, singling in the top of the first and later coming around to score. Thrusting him right back into the lead off spot may have raised some eyebrows, but on paper, the move makes sense.

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When batting lead-off, George Springer is hitting .310. Compare that to .132 batting 2nd, .244 batting 3rd and .182 batting fourth. He strikes out less in the lead off spot as well.

So it is cut and dry then, right? George Springer is the best lead off hitter for the Houston Astros.

Not quite. Despite what the statistics say about Springer in Houston Astros’ lead off spot, there are other factors that detract from his value as a table setter. First and foremost, he is a power hitter. Placing a guy that you expect to hit 30 home runs a season in the lead off spot feels like a waste. That is proven by the fact that Springer has 4 more RBIs when batting third and 55 less at-bats. Those hard hit balls are going to waste if he always hits them with the bases empty. Plus he swings way too hard for a guy tasked simply with getting on base.

Not only that, but Springer appears less likely and less capable of stealing bases for the Houston Astros when batting lead off. He is 4/6 in steal attempts from the slot compared to 8/8 from the 3rd slot. Maybe his speed is a bit more camouflaged when he hits in the heart of the order. Pitchers are also less keen to throw fastballs to the clean-up hitter than they are to the 2nd place hitter.

Then there is the strikeout factor. True, Springer strikes out less as a lead off man than he does batting 3rd. But he still strikes out a lot and for a guy that is solely tasked with getting on base, you obviously do not want that.

Stepping away from what it does to Springer, lets look at what it does to the Houston Astros other lead off hitter, Jose Altuve.

Altuve hits .322 leading off compared to .260 in the two-hole. That is a big drop off and one you cannot afford from your all-star batting champion. Jose Altuve is a natural lead off hitter. He does not strike out, he puts the ball in play, he is not overly powerful and he steals bases effectively. He is an excellent table setter. Altuve was 1-9 in the two games that Springer has hit lead off since his return. When Springer was benched and Altuve was put back in the lead off spot, he went 3-5 with an RBI and only 1 strikeout compared to Springer’s golden sombrero the night before.

George Springer still has some kinks to work out in his game. Altuve is a tried and true, bonafide lead off hitter. Springer is a power hitter. Altuve is a table setter. It should be a simple decision for the Houston Astros.

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