Lead-off hitter

Coach, I know for me at the HS level I want my lead off guy to be probably my best overall hitter, since he will get the most ABs. I want him to be able to make the pitcher work, which means he rarely swings and misses. I want him to have speed. Pesky hitter.

As far as what I tell him, his job his first AB is to one, work the pitcher to see as many pitches as possible, 2 maybe show a fak bunt drag so the other team now thinks he might bunt and three like everyone else look for his pitch and take his best swing. A lot depends on the circumstances when he bats, the only time we will know he will lead off an inning is the first one.

Coach W

We are a travel team so we begin by trusting our players to use their abilities

Our lead off hitters need to have one trait--that they can run and handle the bat---we usually play with a no take program---we want our kids taking piches only on certain situations--we figure they are good enough hitters to have control at the plate--we want our lead off hitter to get on and do his thing---how he gets on is his job-- read the infield--if a bunt does it great---it is his job

Again we are not a HS team so our thinking is different

I took an interesting approach to our line up halfway through our season. We didn't have a true lead-off type hitter. We had some guys who could get on base, but weren't really fast. So what I did was move my 1 and 2 hitters to 8 and 9. Then I slid everyone up in the order 2 spots. So my original #3 hitter was hitting leadoff. Here was my reasoning behind this...

1.) The same two hitters were still hitting in front of my original #3 and #4 hitters with the exception of the first inning.

2.) Our best two hitters seemed to be coming to the plate all the time.

3.) Teams who were not familiar with us played their thirdbasemen in for our two big power hitters simply because they were in the #1 and #2 spots.

4.) Twice we were up 2-0 after two hitters. Once single, homer, and once homer, homer.

5.) I really liked seeing those two hitters get more at bats because they were hitting #1 and #2 instead of #3, #4.

6.) The original leadoff and second hitters production jumped because they were seeing better pitches at the #8 and #9 spots.

This seemed to work pretty well and I know a few other coaches who hit their best two hitters 1st and 2nd presumably to get them more at bats throughout the course of the season.

This year we may have a more prototypical leadoff hitter, so I will probably revert back to a more traditional line up this year, but I may switch it if necessary.

Here are my opinions about a lead off hitter.

1)They need to be able to run
2)They need to be able to handle the bat
3)They don't need to be the best hitter they just need to know how to get on base.

Good eye, and good speed. Has things that cannot be taught, but mostly a natural talent- this leads to high OBP. I think those are key characteristics.

My lead-off hitter has to be the kind of player who cares about getting on base, no matter the manner. If that means laying down two drag bunts a game, then so be it. My lead-off hitter doesn't allow himself to be put out with out one heck of a fight. If he has great speed, excellent! I'd prefer he have great baserunning instincts first and foremost.

Larry hit it on the head. Obviously, we all want the kid that steals 30 bases, hits the ball the other way, can lay down a bunt and can hit with pop. That just is not possible every year in high school. Our lead off guy is the energy. The guy that can get the line up going. Whether it be he beats out a weak hit ground ball or snorts one in left. It just always seems like he finds a way on. It will not be pretty but he will be on base and 3 and 4 hitters love it.
We do believe in taking with our leadoff hitter. He takes the first ab until he gets a strike. (do not give high school pitchers too much credit a lot of them do not warm up properly and struggle with the first kid) PLus he is your leadoff hitter, I think you show more confindence in him by taking a strike. Remember this is just in the first at bat. I do not believe in showing a bunt in the first at bat unless the kid can not bunt. I do not want to take that weapon away from him later in the game. 95% of the time the third baseman is already up anyways.

I am lucky, I have a lead-off guy that does most of what everybody on here wants...

Great Speed - 6.4 60 yard dash time,
Bunts for hits and places bunts well when he is asked to sacrifice which turns into hits,
Hits for average,
Had a high OBP last year,
Knows how to handle the bat (can bunt, slash, hits other way) as he hit 2 hole last year,
Has some pop in his bat (hits the ball out of the park regularly in BP and had 1 in intra-squads),
Great base running instincts,
Beats out routine ground balls to the left side regularly,
Does not strike out much,
Very patient,
Has knowledge and understanding of his strike zone.

If he were a lefty hitter he'd be perfect!

6.4??? Wow...that kid has close to world class speed!

I'd ask him to beat the ball in the ground to the SS every time and take my chances.

I had a 6.6 guy once. He played in the Cape and at George Mason Univ. He had the extra benefits of being lefty and could hit for power. Oh yeah...balls hit to CF were usually outs with him out there.

They sure are few and far between.

I see too many "fast" kids hitting lead-off, w/o any real idea how to do it.

I was a lead-off hitter with some power. I remember two different games where I hit a homer to leadoff the game, then dropped a bunt for basehit down the next AB.

quote:

Originally posted by larrythompson:
6.4??? Wow...that kid has close to world class speed!



I was a lead-off hitter with some power. I remember two different games where I hit a homer to leadoff the game, then dropped a bunt for basehit down the next AB.

He has run a 6.3 on the track (had 3 people timing him and we got 6.30, 6.31, and 6.33) and a 6.44 on the outfield grass.

The lead off home run and bunt base hit in the same game is greatness!!!

I agree with Patrick W. My leadoff guy has to be a stud - rather have my best players get more AB's as long as they have some speed. My leadoff guy this season can really fly and has some pop, so we're hoping he can light a fire early in some big games this season.

Let me add some more spice to the chili here--a few years back, he had a nice career at Columbia, we had an OF with great speed, he was a lefty and had pop as well

We were in a showcase where they did want bunting--his first time up he triples off the wall in left center. Next time up the infield is playing back and he drops a drag bunt for a single and the opposing coach comes running out of the dugout screaming bloody murder---"You can't do that"


If you have a leadoff hitter with this ability what would you do--the kid had multiple weapons--I say why not show them ??

What do you think in terms of lead off hitter?

I'd want my best player as a leadoff hitter. Even if he has cleanup hitter power. The best player is one who can get on base. I don't care about taking pitches just for the sake of taking pitches. I never cared for teaching players to be selective and take pitches. Some do it to a fault and become passive hitters. I only like players taking pitches if they can hit with 2 strikes. If they're too defensive, then looking to go deep in counts isn't their game. If you can handle the bat and happen to be an aggressive hitter, I'll take that anyday. He don't even have to be the fastest runner but as the best player, would be the best baserunner.