Someone needs to replace Mookie Betts in the leadoff spot. Ron Roenicke has a player in mind.
Who will replace Mookie Betts in the leadoff spot?
With the departure of Mookie Betts, there’s an empty slot at the top of the Red Sox batting order.
Interim manager Ron Roenicke thinks he knows who could fill it.
“[Andrew Benintendi] is always a guy I bring up because he did it last year, because he’s an on-base guy,” Roenicke said, according to WEEI’s Rob Bradford. “I know he can hit, he’s a really good hitter and has a really good eye.
“He takes pitches, he does everything you need as a leadoff hitter, and he can steal bases, too, so I like him in the leadoff spot. We’ll see in camp. I’m sure I’ll have a conversation with him and if he’s good with it, we’ll try and see how it goes and see how everybody else fits in.”
Benintendi started last season batting first, hitting .256 from the plate with a .355 on-base percentage in the top spot. When he was the first overall batter in a game, he hit a dismal .119 (5-for-42 with five walks through 48 games).
The team’s new arrivals aren’t promising replacements at the top of the order, either – Alex Verdugo led off once for the Dodgers last season, while Kevin Pillar got the nod four times. So Benintendi, who signed a two-year, $10 million deal Feb. 10, could be the best bet.
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