Davey Martinez, in discussing Lane Thomas’s success since he moved up in the Washington Nationals’ lineup late last month, reiterated his belief that leading off, or hitting in any other spot is not really a big a deal since, “once you get through the order once, you just become a hitter,” but he acknowledged that it might be a comfort thing for the outfielder.
When a reporter mentioned his experiment with Kyle Schwarber leading off last season, and the run he went on in June after Martinez made the move, the manager joked and asked if it was a question about moving Juan Soto up top, but he said when he makes out his lineup it is really about what works well from the top spot to ninth.