As the game of baseball evolved to a more analytically-driven art, the value placed on the leadoff hitter has seemingly decreased. Jon Sciambi and the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball crew regularly discuss this on their broadcasts. Many people believe since the game has changed, getting on base has been devalued and the focus is shifting to hitting home runs, making the leadoff position not what it once was. Being a Chicago Cubs fan, we know this to be far from true.
Dexter Fowler, the lynchpin and leadoff hitter for the 2016 World Series champion offense has been missed greatly since his departure.