MLB: The Evolution of the Lead-off Hitter

Leading off in the 2000s 

As far as lead-off hitters go, it was Ichiro’s decade and the drop-off to the next memorable lead-off hitter is pronounced.

Ichiro – The current Miami Marlin is one of the most lethal hitters baseball has ever seen.  Upon his arrival in 2001 to play in Seattle, Ichiro’s first season involved his team winning 116 games to set an AL record, Rookie of the Year award and MVP (only the second player to ever win both awards in a season) as well as the batting title and stolen base title.  In each of the next ten seasons, Ichiro would have over 200 hits in each season, including the record for most hits in a season with 262 in 2004.  Ichiro still gets on base as his OBP was .354 and won ten gold gloves in a row during the decade to prove he was a complete player.

Grady Sizemore – Before injuries robbed him of his elite abilities, the former Expos draft pick had the potential to be a 40-40 threat as his best season of 33 home runs and 38 steals in 2008 was seen as an appetizer to a Hall of Fame career.  Unfortunately, Sizemore missed two complete seasons earlier this decade and has not been able to reach the standards he set for himself nearly a decade ago.

Johnny Damon – Spending the decade with two of the highest profile teams in MLB, Damon is known mostly for what he did in the playoffs for the two AL East rivals winning a World Series with each in 2004 (Red Sox) and 2009 (Yankees) but he was a decent lead-off hitter for the decade and was often among the league leaders in runs, stolen bases and had a career OBP of .352.  There is no word yet if he plans to play for the Thai national team at the 2017 WBC, like he did in 2013.

Honorable Mention – Alfonso Soriano