Cincinnati Reds: Josh VanMeter gets his opportunity in the leadoff spot

Cincinnati Reds rookie Josh VanMeter is getting the chance to start in place of the injured Joey Votto. VanMeter will also bat in the leadoff spot for the first time in his major league career.

Josh VanMeter may be one of the biggest surprises on this year’s Cincinnati Reds squad outside of Aristides Aquino. VanMeter has shuffled all throughout the Reds lineup lately and tonight he’ll be filling in for the injured Joey Votto at first base. VanMeter will also get a crack at batting leadoff when the Reds entertain the San Diego Padres for the second game of a three-game set.

VanMeter spent the first part of the 2019 with the Reds Triple-A affiliate in Louisville. In 49 games with the Louisville Bats, VanMeter hit .348 with a 1.097 OPS and 14 home runs. He was called up shortly after the promotion of his friend and teammate Nick Senzel.

Senzel has been one of two players that has seen the majority of starts in the leadoff spot. The other is Jesse Winker, who is still nursing an upper back injury. Outside of the No. 3 and No. 7 hole, Senzel has hit in every spot in the batting order with 266 of his 363 plate appearances coming in the leadoff spot.

Senzel is slashing .274/.337/.460 with 7 of his 10 home runs coming when he’s No. 1 on David Bell‘s lineup card. Winker’s 173 plate appearances in the leadoff spot rank second on the team behind Senzel. Winker has had at least 4 at-bats in every spot throughout the batting order this season.

Josh VanMeter has yet to leadoff this season for the Cincinnati Reds, but he’ll get his chance tonight. The Reds rookie has had the majority of his plate appearances, believe it or not, in the No. 9 slot in the batting order, as VanMeter was heavily relied upon earlier this season as a pinch hitter and defensive replacement.

As the season has entered the second half, it’s becoming very apparent that VanMeter may be a longterm answer for the Cincinnati Reds, perhaps at second base. VanMeter has also seen a lot of time in left field. He’ll be making his fifth appearance of the season at first base when the game kicks off at 7:10 PM.

VanMeter has a .377 on-base percentage and a keen eye at the plate. VanMeter’s BB% is 11.0%, which is higher than Jesse Winker’s 9.9% and Senzel’s 7.2%. In fact, only Tucker Barnhart (12.3%) and Joey Votto (11.7%). José Peraza (3.9%) and José Iglesias (3.7%) are among the worst on the Reds when it comes to getting that free pass.

We’ll see if Bell’s move of VanMeter to the leadoff spot pays off. The more Reds Country has seen of VanMeter, the more impressive he becomes. Along with fellow rookies, Senzel and Aristides Aquino, VanMeter has put on quite a show in 2019. Perhaps he can be the straw that stirs the drink during tonight’s contest.