The struggles of the Kansas City Royals can be linked to dropping Alex Gordon from lead off to the third spot. It hasn't been due to a lack of production from Gordon. Before his drop in the order on May 9 Gordon was hitting .311/.336/.500 with 5 HR, 23 RBI, 22 R, 1 SB in 30 games as the Royals went 17-13. The theory is that Gordon's bat would be more productive in the third spot since he was hitting so well. He is in fact hitting better going 24 for 61 or .393 since the move. But his other numbers in that time have fallen off pace as he has 1 HR, 7 RBI, 8 R and 0 SB in those 16 games.
Since his move to the third spot the Royals are 4-12. Of those losses six have been by one run and two have been by two runs. A leading factor is lack of production in the lead off spot.
The Royals have shuffled five players into that top spot trying to find the winning formula for the team. Hitting lead off takes a different mind set and approach and none of the five has established that yet. Alcides Escobar was given first shot but lasted only three games hitting 2 for 13 (.158) and no walks. Jarrod Dyson tried three out of the next four games hitting 4-14 (.286) with one walk which was a good spot but went on the DL shortly after that. Lorenzo Cain and David Lough then alternated the next six games with mixed results. Cain was a wet firecracker going 0 for 11 with two walks over three games. Lough was slightly better over his three games going 3 for 13 (.231) and no walks. Chris Getz has been leading off the last four games hitting 3-13 (.231) and three walks.
I understand why the Royals want Gordon in the third spot but it did mess with the chemistry by moving him down. Maybe the Royals can get one of the remaining four to catch fire as they play musical chairs. Yet I think it would be worth moving Gordon back to the top of the order to try and spark things and get the chemistry back. The current experiment isn't working.
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