You need a leadoff hitter who forces the pitcher into challenging battles, and Turner excels in that aspect as…
You need a leadoff hitter who forces the pitcher into challenging battles, and Turner excels in that aspect as well. Last season, only six qualified hitters had a higher average of pitches per plate appearance than Turner’s 4.27. Belt was the sole Blue Jay who surpassed him in this metric. The significance of a prolonged first-inning battle should not be underestimated. Beyond just diminishing a pitcher’s effectiveness, it provides the team with insights into the quality of the pitcher’s arsenal for the day and how they deploy it.
A desirable leadoff hitter should also be adept at drawing walks, a skill Turner has demonstrated with a 9.2 percent walk rate over the last three seasons. While a preference might be for a rate in the double digits, Turner’s performance is commendable, especially considering his low chase rate of less than a quarter on pitches outside the strike zone—a figure that places him in the top 20 percent of MLB hitters.
Effective contact is another key attribute for a leadoff hitter, compensating for Turner’s relatively average walk rate. He consistently makes contact with the ball, never posting a single-season contact rate lower than 80.5 percent. Last year, his contact rate was an impressive 84.3 percent, a figure that would have ranked second among Blue Jays players, trailing only Alejandro Kirk. To provide context, the MLB average contact rate typically hovers around 76 percent.
