With the regular season less than two weeks away, the New York Mets Opening Day roster is beginning to take shape.
We have a pretty good idea of who is going to man what position, who is going to be in the starting rotation and how most of the bullpen is going to stack up. However, when thinking about the lineup, there’s still one glaring question that remains: Who is the teams leadoff hitter?
If healthy, Michael Conforto would be a conceivable answer, but he will be sidelined until May the earliest. However, there are a few players that could end up filling the spot until he returns.
Brandon Nimmo
Brandon Nimmo came into camp competing with Juan Lagares for the Opening Day center field job, but has easily separated himself as the clear winner.
In 49 at-bats, Nimmo has logged 14 hits with three home runs, good for a .286/.368/.612 slash line.
Last week, Jim Bowden of The Athletic opined that Nimmo did not have the offensive capability or speed to be a regular outfielder in the majors. While the latter remains to be seen, it’s not true that the outfielder is slow.
He may have logged just two stolen bases last year, but if you have actually seen Nimmo play, he’s a speedster out there.
What has been most appealing with Nimmo that I’ve noticed since last year is his plate discipline and ability to draw a walk. That plays well out of the leadoff spot for sure, and if the team is really set on batting Yoenis Cespedes in the No. 2 hole, it gives our big bopper a good chance of driving in a run early in the game.
Asdrubal Cabrera
Earlier this month, Mets manager Mickey Callaway said infielder Asdrubal Cabrera is under consideration to hit leadoff for New York this year.
“He keeps getting hits to start off the game, so that is good,” Callaway said. “He is definitely going to be considered for [leadoff].”
Cabrera has gone 9-for-33 (.273/.333/.455) so far this spring. He’s not a typical leadoff hitter in that he’s not quick and won’t typically swipe a bag, but he does get on base, and has throughout his career (.331 OBP).
With the Mets signing Todd Frazier, Cabrera figures to see regular time at second base. Jose Reyes may also see time there and could hit leadoff on the days he plays, but he will likely remain in a utility role.
Todd Frazier
It is true that Todd Frazier hits for a low average, but that notwithstanding, last season, he walked in a career-high 14.4 percent of plate appearances and only struck out in 21.1 percent of his trips to the plate.
He’s not a typical leadoff hitter by any means, but that doesn’t mean he’s a bad option. Like Nimmo and Cabrera before him, his on-base percentage (.365 last season) would play very well in the No. 1 spot.
However, it seems to be a two horse race at this point, as in the most recent several games, Callaway has alternated between Nimmo and Cabrera for the spot.
If that’s the case, it wouldn’t be the end of the world to have Frazier in the middle of the lineup where he can smack a home run or two.
The decision: Overall, I think we will see a few different guys hitting leadoff to begin the season, including Nimmo, Cabrera and Reyes when he plays. However, I think it will likely be the first two a majority of the time.
A notable exclusion from this list was Amed Rosario, perhaps the speediest guy on the team. The reason he’s not on here is not because I don’t think he’s capable of one day being a leadoff hitter, but because I don’t believe he’s there yet.
When Rosario shows he has the plate discipline and knack for getting on-base for an extended amount of time, which I believe he will when he matures, he will be thrown into the conversation. For now, however, I think it’s wise to go with a Nimmo or Cabrera or even Juan Lagares to begin the season.
