Should David Murphy lead off?

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Ian Kinsler is batting .200 for June (he's not the only one struggling, obviously) with a .265 on-base percentage. When leading off an inning, Kinsler's average for the season is .191. That's not to say Kinsler won't find his stroke again. He was sure good in April and he's capable of leading off. But if Washington does decide to make a move, what about David Murphy?

Murphy has recovered after an 0-for-23 start to the season. Since then, he's 33-for-108 (.305 average) and has had a very consistent and reliable approach at home plate. He's batting .316 in June with a .350 on-base percentage. The other thing I like about Murphy is he sees a lot of pitches and makes contact. But there are downsides too. A big one: Murphy is hitting just .148 against lefties. (So maybe you make Murphy the leadoff against righties and shift Kinsler to that spot against lefties...or maybe that's really overthinking things.)

Dallas Morning News
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bigh0rt's picture

Why not lead off Michael Young whose OBP is 20 points higher than Murphy's? Not many guys on that team who know how to take a walk at all...