Heading into his first season as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Dave Roberts caught many by surprise when he identified Andre Ethier as a viable option to bat lead off during the 2016 season. While the roster was without a prototypical leadoff man, it’s a role Ethier had never filled.
Roberts cited the veteran outfielder’s on-base percentage as reason behind the thinking, but it was never put to the test as Ethier sustained a fractured tibia during Spring Training that derailed his year. Instead, Chase Utley was called on to fill the void.
Utley fared well during the first half of the season, but his effectiveness dipped as the year wore on. With the Dodgers set to hold their first full-squad workout of Spring Training in less than one month, they find themselves in a familiar position — without a clear-cut option to hit atop the lineup.
However, the answer may be found in the recently-acquired Logan Forsythe, who already satisfied the Dodgers’ need for a second baseman and right-handed hitter.
During an interview on MLB Network Radio, Roberts acknowledged Forsythe is someone he envisions at the very least slotted in the upper-half of the Dodgers’ lineup:
“Talking right now, I see him toward the top. Logan, throughout the Minor Leagues and his Major League career, has found a way to get on base.”
Speaking from a stop on the Dodgers Love L.A. Community Tour on Wednesday, Roberts more specifically addressed the likelihood of Forsythe batting leadoff, per Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times:
“I see him at the top of the lineup,” Roberts said Wednesday after an appearance before the Los Angeles City Council, where he received a commendation for winning the 2016 National League Manager of the Year Award. “Just because throughout his entire baseball career, he’s found an ability to get on base.”
Forsythe appeared in 127 games with the Tampa Bay Rays last season, making 125 starts and hitting in the leadoff spot each time. He batted .265/.335/.436 with 24 doubles, four triples, 20 home runs and 52 RBI in 565 such plate appearances.
Forsythe drew 46 walks and also stole six bases (caught stealing six times).
The 30-year-old is a lifetime .260/.328/.433 hitter, with 30 doubles, 22 home runs and 57 RBI in 665 plate appearances when first in the batting order.
Forsythe’s versatility in the field presumably will impact where he bats, as the Dodgers could need his right-handed bat in various spots in the lineup, dependent on the opponent’s starting pitcher.
