Chicago White Sox: Should Yoan Moncada hit second?
The Chicago White Sox have a bunch of unique options they can pursue when it comes to lineup construction in 2020. Where should Yoan Moncada hit in 2020?
Yoan Moncada spoke to reporters on Friday and intimated a preference of where he’d hit in the order this season for the White Sox as detailed by Vinnie Dubar of NBC Sports Chicago.
"“I would like to hit in the second spot of the lineup,” he said through team interpreter Billy Russo. “That’s where I feel more comfortable.”“Like I said before, I’m open to be in any spot of the lineup. I’m here to help the team. I’m here to make the team better, and whatever position they give me I’m going to be good with it.”"
In 2019, Moncada hit second in the lineup 68 times which was more than half the amount of games he played in.
Over the other 64 games he appeared in, he hit in the fourth spot (29 times) and fifth spot (19 times) the most.
His comfort hitting second certainly was exemplified by his play as he registered a .344/.401/.604 slash line with 17 home runs and 42 RBI.
The 1.005 OPS he had in the two-hole was significantly higher than the fourth and fifth spots where he had a .822 and .766 OPS, respectively.
Recent trends in MLB have started to show that a team’s best hitter usually is placed in the second spot since it gives them optimal chances to come to the plate with a runner on base to drive in.
Based on the White Sox roster, Moncada would certainly appear to be their best hitter right now and so using him in the second spot would make sense regardless of his personal preference.
Given the fact that it is his desired spot to hit, letting the 24-year-old slot in there would be the right call, at least to start the season.
Moncada’s continued development into a star (5.7 fWAR in 2019) is essential to the team’s ability to succeed going forward. Doing anything that could potentially make it easier for him to succeed in the South Side should be a top priority for them.
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While he indicated that he would be willing to hit in any spot of the order, Moncada should be hitting in the second spot of the lineup for the White Sox in 2020.