SF Giants manager Bob Melvin suggests that speedy center fielder might not be leadoff hitter

Who will hit leadoff for the SF Giants in 2025? Jung Hoo Lee served as the team's leadoff hitter when healthy last year, but Bob Melvin told Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle that LaMonte Wade Jr. could see plenty of time in the leadoff spot this season.

SF Giants manager Bob Melvin suggests that speedy center fielder might not be leadoff hitter

The reasoning is pretty obvious here. The leadoff hitter needs to get on base at a high rate and few hitters have done that better than Wade Jr. in recent seasons. Since the start of 2023, Wade Jr.'s .376 on-base percentage is the 11th-best mark in baseball among hitters with at least 500 plate appearances.

Wade Jr. is one of the more selective hitters in baseball. That is part of the reason why he reaches base at such a high rate. Using the same parameters as above, Wade Jr.'s 15.0 percent walk rate is tied with Ryan Noda for fourth among hitters.

The veteran bat does not hit for much power, so on the surface, it might be strange that he works walks at such a high rate. However, he is exceptional at controlling the strike zone. There are few hitters who chase out of the zone less than Wade Jr.

Of course, there is a tradeoff with using Wade Jr. at the top of the lineup. While he reaches base at such a high clip, he is also one of the slower baserunners on the team. If the hitters behind him at hitting for power, that neutralizes that flaw to some degree but it is a consideration.

On the other side, Jung Hoo Lee could see more time in the middle of the order. The left-handed bat started 31 of his 36 games at the leadoff spot before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. Melvin is considering moving him to the third spot in the lineup.

The traditional No. 3 hitter is usually one of the team's better power hitters. However, Lee does not necessarily fit that description. He does have some power but not at the level of a traditional No. 3 hitter.

If this plays out, Lee hitting in the third spot would stagger the top of the lineup between lefties and righties. Presumably, Wade Jr. and Lee are the first left-handed hitters at No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, followed by Willy Adames and Matt Chapman as the first two righties in the lineup at No. 2 and No. 4, respectively.