Good Morning! Yoan Moncada wants to be the White Sox new leadoff hitter. According to an article from Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune, Moncada pleaded his case with manager Rick Renteria recently.
“I feel more comfortable now and I can express myself with more honesty and I can communicate about the things that I like or dislike,” Moncada is quoted as saying by Kuc.
The young slugger lead off against the San Diego Padres on Sunday going 0 for 3 with two strikeouts, but that doesn’t dismiss his desire to work from the leadoff position. Kuc quotes Moncada again:
“I’ve always liked being a leadoff hitter because I get to see more pitches and better pitches. …Because of the type of player I am, I can take advantage of that position. I was the leadoff man last year in Triple-A (Charlotte) and I did well and I liked it. If I have to be down in the three, four or five spot, I can do it, too, but I feel more comfortable and I have more confidence in the leadoff spot.”
This is one of the questions Renteria will have to tinker with for most of the season. The White Sox roster features a lot of flexibility. Yolmer Sanchez appears to be a strong candidate to lead off, but if Tyler Saladino and Leury Garcia can find a position they have more experience and might be more comfortable. Add Adam Engel to the equation if he learns how to be more patient and make better contact, but that seems to be a tall task given his history.
Moncada adds more than most players to every position or spot in the lineup than most players. He is a switch-hitter with power and speed. He won’t gum up the basepaths but he has enough power to be featured in the middle of the order. Renteria could easily bat him fifth or sixth, but Abreu might create an unnecessary stop sign for Moncada on the basepaths. He could slide down further but there isn’t much protection in the lineup after the sixth or seventh spot.
So, maybe there is something to Moncada’s motion to own the top spot. There’s no doubt he can cause problems for opposing pitchers and managers by switching batters boxes, and getting him a few more at-bats over the season would be good for his development. The only question is whether it is best for the team. That’s something only Renteria can answer.
