Is it Time for a Change at the Top of the Twins Lineup?

Minnesota Twins manager, Paul Molitor has shown he’s not afraid to shake things up. When Torii Hunter was struggling in the cleanup spot in the Twins lineup he made a switch. He moved Hunter up to the two hole in the Twins lineup. Since that switch Hunter has gone 5-12 and the Twins have gone 3-1.

It might be time for Molitor to start thinking about making a switch at the top of the Twins lineup. Twins leadoff man, Danny Santana is struggling to put the ball in play.

The Twins shortstop has struck out 13 times in 41 at bats. It’s never good when you have more strikeouts than hits. That’s exactly where Santana is sitting, as he has just eight hits. The leadoff hitter is supposed to work the count and get on base. Santana is doing neither, he is batting just .195 with zero walks.

The problem for Molitor and the Twins is that they don’t have many options to replace Santana as the leadoff man.

Molitor could move second baseman, Brian Dozier to the leadoff spot and move Kenny Vargas to the cleanup spot. Dozier has a 594 career at bats in the leadoff role with a .247 batting average. Molitor used Dozier as the leadoff hitter once this season against the Chicago White Sox when he gave Santana the day off. Dozier went 2-6 and the Twins scored six runs.

I don’t see Molitor doing that. At least not yet. The other option could be center fielder, Jordan Schafer.

Yes, Schafer is struggling at the dish. However, a move to the leadoff spot could jumpstart Schafer’s bat. The move could also help take some of the pressure of Santana. It’s only a small sample size but, Santana had 34 at bats batting ninth in the lineup in 2014 and he had an impressive, .412 batting average.

Coming off a day in which Santana went 0-4 with three strikeouts, one has to think Molitor is thinking of making another change in the Twins lineup. Will he stick with the struggling Santana? Or will he try something new tomorrow? Stay tuned.

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