Saturday, August 18, 2012

Werth embraces leadoff role

US Presswire photo
Jayson Werth has a .509 on-base percentage since returning from the DL.
As he was getting close to returning from a broken left wrist, Jayson Werth asked Davey Johnson where the Nationals manager planned to hit him in his starting lineup.

Johnson said he was thinking about leading him off, to which Werth replied: "That's great."

"He's a student, he studies the game," Johnson said. "And he knows the talents of everybody else."

Indeed, a quick scan of the Nationals' projected lineup (especially once Ian Desmond returned from his own oblique injury) showed no traditional candidate to hit leadoff. Werth made the most sense.

"His approach, the way he approaches every at-bat, is really more in line with a leadoff hitter," Johnson said. "He takes a lot of pitches and a lot of times will try to hit the pitcher's pitch. He's not your normal,
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3 comments:

Sunshine_Bobby_Carpenter_Is_Too_Pessimistic_For_Me said...

Typical Davey: a little unconventional, but very well researched and typically a step and a-half of everybody else. Werth may indeed be our best leadoff hitter since ... dare I say it? Nook Logan.

Scooter said...

Morgan was MUCH better than Logan. Had his problems, yes, but better than Logan.

sjm308 said...

Have to admit, as much as I did not like Morgan's total game (no arm at all, poor routes to ball, give up attitude at times), he was a really good leadoff guy and could disrupt things with his speed.

I like Werth & Lombo both in the leadoff spot and think these last two months will go a long way in helping Rizzo make a decision about Mr. Bourne.

Go Nats!

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