The red-hot George Springer from 2025 is yet to be seen this season for the Toronto Blue Jays. Injuries have disrupted his ability to find his rhythm while also impacting his offensive output.
In the past, when Springer was going through an offensive drought, he was moved out of the leadoff spot. This should be something that the Blue Jays revisit this season.
The veteran is batting .198 with a .607 OPS this season. He owns the highest pop-up rate of his career (19.4%).
Why moving George Springer out of the leadoff spot helps the team
Following Springer’s resurgence last season, it is not surprising, given his age (36), that his offense has taken a downward spiral. This raises concerns about his offensive stability at the top of the lineup.
He’s also been chasing more pitches outside of the zone (25.1% chase rate), contributing to his inability to get on base consistently. His average exit velocity (88.4 mph) and hard-hit rate (38.8%) rank low (35th-36th percentile) as well.
Moving him lower in the lineup could offer him a chance to break out of his offensive woes. It is an approach that worked in May of 2024.
Having a more consistent hitter in the leadoff spot could help spark the offense earlier in games. In Springer’s last seven games, he’s batted .154 with four hits and four strikeouts.
Kazuma Okamoto, Andres Gimenez, Daulton Varsho and Ernie Clement have been the Blue Jays most consistent hitters and run producers as of late, and perhaps giving one of them a chance at the top of the order could spark Springer and the team.