Wanted - New Leadoff Hitter

The Phillies have made a transition to become a more attuned to statistical analysis. Well, analyze this. Cesar Hernandez should not be leading off. As a leadoff hitter or when leading off an inning, Hernandez has a lousy OPS of .693 in 119 plate appearances (PA).

And the Phillies best hitter when leading off an inning is–Rhys Hoskins. Last year's rookie sensation is due to come off the disabled list today after fouling a ball off his own face (yes really). Hoskins was off to a great start but then went ice cold in May. From April 29 to May 28, Hoskins hit .143 with 36 strikeouts in 98 at-bats.

But even with that stretch of awfulness, Hoskins has a 1.284 OPS when leading off an inning in 39 PA. Nick Williams is second in leadoff OPS at .900 (42 PA) and Carlos Santana is third at .887 (46 PA).

In the last 2 weeks, the Phillies are 4-10, scoring just 39 runs, or 2.8 per game. It's time to shake up the lineup and let Hoskins or Williams hit first. What do they have to lose?

And another thing. The Phillies have preached patience at the plate this season, but is it really helping? When swinging at the first pitch (which has happened 201 times so far this year), Phillies hitters have a .943 OPS. Pitchers know the Phils are patient. They figure they can throw a strike without any consequences. Maybe if they start swinging at the first pitch, the offense will come to life.