Phillies

Hey Did Anyone Notice Jayson Werth is Now a Leadoff Hitter?

By Kyle Scott

Published: Jun 13th, 2011 · 9:57 AM EDT

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Source: Zimbio

126 million bones, yo.

The Nationals' beat writers have been calling for this move for about a month now. This weekend it finally happened. Werth batted leadoff both Saturday and Sunday. His line? 0-for-8 with two strikeouts and seven men left on base. Womp waaaaaa.

Many will say that Werth is actually better suited for that role, given his relatively high on-base percentage, ability to take pitches, and speed. They're probably right. But here's the problem: He wasn't signed to bat leadoff, he was signed to produce runs. Of course, one could not have expected the Nationals to notice that he was a 32-year-old who only had one season with over 30 HRs and 90 RBIs. Can't wait to see what he's like in 2015! 

Some argue that Carl Crawford, not known for his power, was paid $142 million with similar numbers. Nay. Crawford is three years younger, yet still has a longer track record than Werth. He is also lightning fast (averaging 52 stolen bases per year), has a career average just under .300, and has shown respectable power for a little guy. He had 19 HR and 90 RBI last year, which was not far off from Werth's 27 HR, 87 RBI season.

In total, Crawford is a much more attractive player than Werth… who has solid power numbers for a $126 million leadoff hitter.