Leadoff hitter

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In baseball, a leadoff hitter is a batter who bats first in the lineup.

[edit] Strategy

Leadoff hitters must possess certain traits to be successful: they must reach base at a proficient on-base percentage rate and be able to steal bases. However, sabermetric analysis has indicated that stolen bases is often an overrated quality of leadoff hitters. Leadoff hitters tend to play defensively difficult positions, such as shortstop, second base, and center field. Many consider Rickey Henderson the prototypical leadoff hitter.

[edit] Major League Baseball leadoff hitters for the 2008 season

NL East
Club Player
ATL Kelly Johnson
FLA Alfredo Amézaga
NYM Jose Reyes
PHI Jimmy Rollins
WAS Christian Guzman
NL Central
Club Player
CHC Alfonso Soriano
CIN Ryan Freel
HOU Michael Bourn
MIL Rickie Weeks
PIT Nate McLouth
STL Cesar Izturis
NL West
Club Player
ARI Chris Young
COL Willy Taveras
LAD Rafael Furcal
SD Tadahito Iguchi
SF Fred Lewis
AL East
Club Player
BAL Brian Roberts
BOS Jacoby Ellsbury
NYY Johnny Damon
TB Akinori Iwamura
TOR David Eckstein
AL Central
Club Player
CWS Brian Anderson
CLE Grady Sizemore
DET Curtis Granderson
KC David DeJesus
MIN Carlos Gomez
AL West
Club Player
LAA Erick Aybar
OAK Chris Denorfia
SEA Ichiro Suzuki
TEX Marlon Byrd

[edit] Notable Major League Baseball leadoff hitters

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