Anthony Rendon signing with the Los Angeles Angels was a huge loss for the Washington Nationals. His departure leaves a gaping hole at third base and an equally void in the 2019 World Series champions’ batting order.
Now, Nationals manager Davey Martinez must find a suitable replacement to bat third, who Juan Soto will protect in the order. While the Nationals’ 2020 roster provides multiple options, there has been a growing chatter about the possibility of shortstop Trea Turner filling the void in the three-spot.
Peaking at Turner’s approach at the plate and combination of speed and power, he may be a suitable replacement. However, if Turner slides down the lineup, that could present more questions than answers and affect the ebb and flow in the lineup the Nationals possessed in 2019.
If Turner wins over Martinez, then who bats lead-off?
Turner and Adam Eaton formed a dynamic duo at the top of the Nationals order last season. Flipping Turner to third will still keep the Eaton-Turner combo in the first frame, however, they will rely on another batter ahead of them.
The answer could be Victor Robles.
Martinez wants to toy with the possibility during the Grapefruit League play that begins Saturday.
Robles’ speed and glimpses of power laminates the possibility.
Robles batting first with Eaton second and Turner third gives the Nationals a solid trio of speed and power. That’s a lot of pressure on the opposing starting pitcher early on that is nearly unmatched by any other MLB club.
Robles Must Mature at the Plate
Yet, there are still cons. And the scenario is heavily predicated on Robles ability to mature at the plate. Robles has established himself as one of the best center-fielders in baseball, however, he has room to grow with the bat.
Last season, Robles struggled with patience at the plate. His 4-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio identifies the area of concern. In comparison, Turner has a 2.6-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Robles also struggled when leading off innings in 2019. He hit .244/.292/.400 when leading off innings. His strikeout-to-walk ratio rose to an alarming 7.2-to-1 as well.
Chasing pitchers out of the zone and struggles with staying aggressive in the strike zone could be problematic for Robles leading off.
Robles got ahead of the count in 32.9% of his plate appearances last season. He hit .280/.415/.547 with nine home runs. Comparably, Turner was ahead 34% of his plate appearances and hit .369/.510/.718 with 10 home runs.
But it’s easy to shrug that as a rookie struggles and the fact he primarily batted ahead of the pitcher spot with no protection. Forcing play on the ball with the pitcher due up may have dramatically impacted Robles’ plate production.
Having him at the top of the order with Eaton and Turner behind him, he will see more favorable pitches. Still, at the age of 22, it’s a wait-and-see approach if Robles can capitalize on the opportunities.
Turner Has Great Potential to Hit 3rd
Still, Robles has shown potential of someday being a lead-off hitter. His .326 on-base percentage isn’t superb. But, it’s solid considering he batted at the bottom of the order, specifically ahead of the pitcher spot majority of the season.
He will see favorable pitch sequences with Eaton, Turner and Soto behind him.
And if Robles can thrive as a lead-off hitter, the speed and power behind him could make the Nationals’ lineup lethal at the top.
Turner will certainly garner more fastballs with Soto on-deck. Turner has excelled facing fastballs, hitting .342 with 13 home runs, according to MLB.com.
Last season, Turner hit .298/.353/.497 with 19 home runs and 57 RBIs. His patience and pop at the plate is ideal for hitting third. And his speed puts pressure on the defense which will be more problematic with Soto protecting him.
Turner hit .268/.351/.523 with men on base last year. He also had an strong 1.4 strikeouts-to-walk ratio. With Eaton hitting .286/.376/.456 batting second in the lineup, Turner will have plenty of opportunities with men on.
Howie Kendrick May Be Best Option to Bat Third
Turner appears up to the challenge. But, his strength at lead-off and questions of Robles’ maturity at the plate could steer Martinez in another direction. He has a pair of additional options to replace Rendon in the lineup at third.
First, Howie Kendrick. The NLCS MVP and postseason hero thrived in 2019 with the Nationals after coming off a ruptured Achilles in 2018.
His .344 batting average and .572 slugging percentage last season were both career-highs. And his .395 on-base percentage was just .002 points from being his career-best.
What’s more eye-popping is that the 36-year old hit .419/.438/.742 in 32 plate appearances. While it’s a small sample size, Kendrick’s patience at the plate and ability to get clutch hits could be just too much for Martinez to pass up.
Having Turner and Eaton in front and Soto behind him could lead to even more impressive numbers for Kendrick. Last season he hit .352/.400/.491 and drove in 49 runs with men on base.
With Ryan Zimmerman tailoring off, and the lost of Rendon, Kendrick is expected to be counted on heavily. Batting third may just be the best option for him. And looking at a lineup reading Turner, Eaton, Kendrick and Soto may be best for the Nationals as well.
Starlin Castro Is A Candidate As Well
29-year old Starlin Castro inked a two-year deal with the Nationals this Winter. Primarily he will add depth in the infield, at second base or third. But don’t count him out as an option to bat third.
With Spring Training, Castro could see opportunities to prove his worth batting ahead of Soto.
Last season, Castro hit a respectable .293/.344/.476 in 90 plate appearances batting third with the Miami Marlins. He also displayed an ability to hit with runners on base, hitting .282/.316/.464 with 73 runs driven in.
While he most likely will be slotted behind Soto, he could spell Kendrick or Turner batting ahead of the 21-year old wonder.
When general manager Mike Rizzo re-signed Kendrick and Asdrubal Cabrera while adding Castro, he had replacing Rendon in mind in various areas. But, there is no replacing Rendon’s patience and incredible instincts on the corner at third.
It’s hard to replace a slash of .319/.412/.498 and 34 home runs and 117 runs driven in. Yet, Rizzo has presented the Nationals a plethora of options to ease the loss. Whether it’s Turner, Kendrick, Castro or someone not mentioned, Martinez has more than one card to play.
