San Francisco Giants Mailbag: Lincecum, LF Power, Leadoff Spot
Mar. 20, 2015; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants outfielder Nori Aoki against the Cincinnati Reds during a spring training game at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
@MaggiePilloton How much of a difference will the #SFGiants offense be with Nori Aoki leading off have over having Angel Pagan leadoff?
— Jamie Faue (@BrickWallJamieF) April 7, 2015
Second question by Jamie. You rock, Jamie.
I actually think that having Pagan later on in the lineup might have more of an effect than Aoki leading off. I’m not suggesting that Aoki will be a poor leadoff hitter, because I think he will do everything that a leadoff hitter should do and that he’ll excel at it. I just mean that having Pagan bat later in the lineup could be more impactful than Aoki’s impact at the top of the lineup.
When Pence comes back, Pagan’s spot in the lineup might change slightly, but regardless of exactly what spot he hits in, the Giants will benefit from more energy and more speed later on in the lineup than in just the leadoff spot.
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With Aoki hitting first, Panik hitting second, and Pagan hitting third, for example, the Giants’ offense will benefit from a quality, experienced leadoff hitter who can extend at-bats and find ways to get on base, followed up by a batter who can hit for average and hit to all areas of the field, and then followed up by Pagan’s energy, which could possibly spark the offense even more from the third spot in the lineup than in the leadoff spot.
As I said before, I think Aoki will be a solid addition at the top of the lineup for the Giants. He has a knack for being patient, waiting for a good pitch to hit, extending at-bats by working pitch counts, and finding ways to get on base. These are ideal qualities for a leadoff hitter, and the Giants are lucky to have two players who are high-quality leadoff hitters.
No matter how you look at it, Aoki leading off and Pagan hitting later in the lineup could have an interesting impact on the Giants’ offense overall.