Hamilton to open season at bottom of Reds' lineup
Billy Hamilton, the speedy center fielder who spent much of the last two years leading off for the Cincinnati Reds, will open the 2016 campaign hitting at the bottom of the batting order, manager Bryan Price said Thursday.
Hamilton, who ranks second in the majors with 113 stolen bases since 2014 despite his .285 on-base percentage over that span, will need to earn the leadoff spot back this year, Price said, noting that shortstop Zack Cozart will likely bat first on Opening Day.
After getting penciled into the leadoff spot 136 times as a rookie in 2014, Hamilton spent only six weeks atop the Reds' lineup last season before being bumped down to the bottom on May 17. The move didn't do any good, though, as Hamilton hit even worse after being removed from the leadoff spot, finishing his injury-riddled year with the fourth-lowest OBP (.274) among players with at least 450 plate appearances.
2015 Splits
| Split | GS | BA | OBP | SLG | BB% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batting 1st | 45 | .230 | .293 | .342 | 8.2% |
| Batting 9th | 59 | .223 | .264 | .248 | 4.9% |
Frankly, Cozart better get comfortable in the leadoff spot. His remarkable speed notwithstanding, Hamilton has been one of the worst offensive players in baseball since becoming a full-time player two years ago. Among the 155 players with at least 900 plate appearances since 2014, only Omar Infante has a lower OPS than Hamilton (.612), who's hit .240 - with a below-average .287 batting average on balls in play - despite his speed and contact skills.