Is Castro The Cubs' Future Leadoff Hitter?
CHICAGO (WSCR) -- Starlin Castro remains to be the most exciting player on the Chicago Cubs, but he's also the player with the more uncertain future.
There are some who see Castro as a second baseman instead of a shortstop. And for a while it looked like he was destined to hit in the middle of the lineup, that was until he was moved to the Cubs' leadoff role.
"I don't really know what his long-term spot is," Ken Rosenthal, of FOX Sports, said on the Mully and Hanley Show. "I would guess middle of the order, becuase he looks like he's going to be that kind of hitter with the power. But they've been screaming for a couple of years now that they don't have a leadoff hitter, they just found a leadoff hitter."
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On the season, Castro is hitting .418 with a home run, seven RBI and a 1.025 OPS. His numbers are even better when he hits leadoff: .563 batting average, one HR, five RBI and a 1.432 OPS.
"For now he's [leading off]," Rosenthal said. "The lineup works well that way."
The Cubs were forced to shuffle their lineup when Kosuke Fukudome suffered a minor injury and had to miss some time. The result of that shuffle was Castro hitting leadoff and second baseman Darwin Barney hitting in the two-hole.
"[Castro] has been one of the bright spots, "Rosenthal said. "Not just of the Cubs season, but of the baseball season. And it's been really fun to watch him and Barney."
Barney (.333 BA, five RBI and .835 OPS) has been almost as impressive as Castro.
The Cubs start a series with the San Diego Padres on Monday.
