District On Deck
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Washington Nationals: Who should hit leadoff next season?

By Blake Finney

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 29: Trea Turner #7 of the Washington Nationals is congratulated by Adam Eaton #2 after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on June 29, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 29: Trea Turner #7 of the Washington Nationals is congratulated by Adam Eaton #2 after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on June 29, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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Washington Nationals Trea Turner Adam Eaton
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

The Verdict

The choice on who people would pick to lead off depends on which philosophy you buy. Whether you prefer pure on-base skills or whether you prefer speed. However, the best option for the Washington Nationals is probably Trea Turner.

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The speedy shortstop’s progress with his plate discipline last season was the determining factor that would make up for the slightly lower OBP than other potential candidates. Early in the season, his OBP sat in the .380 range, so he clearly has the ability to get on base more often. Maybe keeping things consistent and contantly having him at the top would benefit him and allow him to work the count more.

Having Turner at the top may also help the rest of the Nationals lineup to slot into place. You could then hit Adam Eaton second, Anthony Rendon third, Juan Soto fourth and Ryan Zimmerman fifth. You could also swap Zimmerman for Brian Dozier and have Matt Adams hit sixth against tough right-handers. That lineup has the nice righty-lefty alternation that manager Dave Martinez likes.

On Saturday, we held a Twitter poll to see what our followers thought about the debate of the leadoff hitter. You can see the results below.

It looks like Adam Eaton just edged out Trea Turner as the outfielder scooped up 41 percent of the vote compared to 35 percent for the shortstop. It was interesting that Victor Robles picked up 23 percent, meaning there are a lot of fans out there who already have confidence in him.

Looking ahead at the Nats' 2019/20 FAs. dark. Next

The leadoff spot is going to be crucial for the Washington Nationals in 2019, as they will set the tone for a team keen to do the little things right. While there are several good choices, hopefully Dave Martinez makes the right call on this one.

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