Earlier this season Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said he had little use for lead-off hitters who get on base and do nothing else, noting that prototypical No. 1 hitters also steal bases.
It turns out Gonzalez has even less regard for players who don’t get on base in the first place. That partly explains why he’s used right fielder Nick Markakis as the lead-off hitter for the past four games even though the veteran has average speed.
“It’s not like we were stealing bases anyway,” Gonzalez said. “Can’t steal if you’re not getting on base.”
Markakis is getting on base as the lead-off hitter, same as when he was batting third for 14 of his previous 15 games (he batted second once).
Entering Tuesday’s game against the Nationals, Markakis led Braves hitters with a .426 on-base percentage and 13 runs scored while hitting .333 with a team-high 12 walks. Markakis had a .400 OBP in his first three games as the Braves’ No. 1 hitter and Gonzalez had him at the top of the order again on Tuesday against the Nationals.
Markakis has never recorded more than 18 stolen bases in a season and had just six total over the past three seasons with the Orioles. His forte is getting on base, which Cameron Maybin and Eric Young Jr. weren’t doing consistently while batting first for the first 16 games (Phil Gosselin filled in once).
Gonzalez said he plans to ride with Markakis as the No. 1 hitter.
“He’s been on base every time,” Gonzalez said. “We’ll see. It wasn’t working, you know? The good thing about it is, when we signed him that was one of the things we talked about before he signed, would he be open to it, and he said, ‘Yeah, that’s fine.’ So when I approached him again (last week) at least we had some history. I didn’t just drop it on him.”
The Braves signed Markakis to a four-year, $44 million contract in December. He attended Woodstock High and Young Harris College.
