Thoughts on Masyn Winn, Leadoff Hitter

The young shortstop is miscast in the role but maybe not to the extent you think

When we talk about a lineup, whether the one that exists or the one we prefer existed, we tend to think in singular terms. Here is the team’s lineup for this season. Or something like: Here is the lineup I’d like to see for this season. That’s not really an accurate portrait of things, though, is it?

Teams for decades upon decades have tailored lineups to the handedness of the starting pitcher. I’m hardly breaking news here, but when invoking a team’s lineup in broad terms we’re typically referring to what a team trots out against right-handed starters, who have made almost two-thirds of all starts in the integrated era (i.e., since 1947). This brings me to young shortstop Masyn Winn and his ongoing deployment in Oli Marmol’s leadoff spot.

The most important skill for a leadoff hitter is getting on base, full stop. Yes, it’s further valuable if you can run the bases and hit for power – Rickey forever – but the key thing is getting the line moving in front of the two-three-four bats. Winn does not do this. Across 774 big-league plate appearances, Winn has an OBP of .299. The league OBP over that span is .316. I fully realize Winn doesn’t turn 23 for another two weeks and has the potential to grow into a reliable on-base threat. If that comes to pass, then the prospect of batting him leadoff may be revisited. For now, though, he’s being badly overused in the role (more on that in a moment).