The leadoff spot was a huge problem for the Angels last season, as the 15 different players manager Mike Scioscia batted atop the lineup combined to hit just .237 with a ghastly .280 on-base percentage.
This time around Scioscia is ready for a change, as Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports that he’s “pretty committed” to using offseason pickup Yunel Escobar in the leadoff spot.
Escobar isn’t very fast and hasn’t been a regular leadoff man since 2011, but the 33-year-old infielder got on base at a .375 clip last season and has a career OBP of .350. Over the course of 600 plate appearances the difference between a .280 OBP and a .350 OBP is 42 fewer outs and 42 more runners, which would certainly look good on base for Mike Trout.
