Washington Nationals: Put Trea Turner back at the top of the order

Call me a Boomer if you like, I think the offensive catalyst needs to be the one setting the table not clearing it. Move Trea Turner back to the leadoff spot, now.

I’m all for Washington Nationals manager Davey Martinez shuffling the lineup as a way to spark the offense. I would just rather see Trea Turner stay in the leadoff position.

As the losses kept tallying and the poor hitting performances piled up, we knew there would be a change coming to the batting order. Most thought it was time to bounce Adam Eaton from his stronghold on the two-spot. Some argued why Asdrubal Cabrera was hitting cleanup. A handful wonder why Brock Holt is even on the team.

I applauded the effort when Martinez decided to shake things up. I disagreed with how he did it.

Incumbent leadoff man Trea Turner had just had a 16-game hitting streak snapped when he was moved down a notch in the batting order. Hottest hitter on the team, in a better position to drive in runs. At first I thought, thank goodness Martinez got Eaton out of the two-hole. But, wait. Eaton was moved to leadoff?

The guy doesn’t get on base, and now he’s hitting leadoff. After an 0-2, two strikeout performance, Eaton was injured on a sacrifice bunt and we haven’t seen him since.

Next, Martinez auditioned Victor Robles in the leadoff spot. Usually Robles bats ninth in the order, the old double leadoff spot, for a guy with great wheels who doesn’t hit as well as the top speed guy. In a couple of games Vic has three hits and scored a run from his place atop the order.

Turner, in his new spot in the lineup, has done what he has done all year, hit. His hitting streak overlapped with most of the team’s losing streak, and some nights it seemed like Turner was the only one getting on base.

The leadoff hitter sets the tone for the game, and while as much as Turner was getting on base it wasn’t translating in wins, it was translating in runs. Turner has scored a run in 18 of the last 20 games he’s hit leadoff.

Arguably the best table setter on the team, Turner needs to hit first in the order. Maybe the second best hitter should hit second. Move Soto up and hope they both get on and have three chances to get them in.

I agree with the lineup shakeup. I disagree with moving Trea Turner out of the leadoff spot.