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Where should the St. Louis Cardinals bat Matt Carpenter in 2016?
Carpenter can do it all. Hit home runs. Slug doubles. Get on base. Craft a fine beard. The question is where should the Cards place that madness in 2016? His leadoff numbers don’t lie but if it bettered the team and help boost the offense, could he hit elsewhere?
There are two ways to answer this question. First…
@buffa82 Where do you see Carpenter hitting
— Brandon How (@bdogg84) February 9, 2016
A prediction. Where will he? I see Carpenter staying in the leadoff role. Why? He’s very good there. Why change it? Why would Mike Matheny do that? For his career, Carpenter’s OPS is .859 and that covers 1,694 plate appearances. The .473 slug and .378 OBP are quite impressive. The 112 doubles are great. If you believe in numbers and consistency, you want Matt Carpenter staying in the leadoff spot.
Where should he hit? Same spot. I’m sorry. Every time I move Carpenter out of the leadoff, the person who replaces him doesn’t have the consistency, effectiveness or durability to do what he can do at the top. Kolten Wong can not and neither can Tommy Pham or even Matt Holliday. It’s all groovy to think about but it’s not happening.
Next: Can Grichuk hit 30 home runs?