Washington considering Rendon for leadoff spot

With just over a week to go before Opening Day, Angels manager Ron Washington still isn't sure what he wants to do about the leadoff spot.

The uncertainty pushed Washington to try Anthony Rendon batting first for Wednesday's exhibition game.

“Just trying to find some things with the lineup,” Washington said. “I stayed status quo with the lineup throughout the spring and, to be honest with you, I wasn't impressed with the top of it, the way it was working, so I wanted to try something else.”

Washington said he wanted to try Rendon because he knew he would have a quality at-bat, including seeing more pitches. Rendon walked in two of his three trips to the plate on Wednesday.

Rendon has a career .367 onbase percentage. Even in his mostly disappointing Angels career, Rendon has produced a .359 on-base percentage.

Washington said earlier in the spring he liked Rendon hitting cleanup — despite his lack of power — because he knew how to drive in runs. Now, it seems he's more interested in his ability to get on base and see pitches.

Rendon has hit leadoff 36 times

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in his career, none since 2015.

“Our leadoff hitters are not prototypical leadoff hitters,” Washington said. “I need someone up there that I think will make that pitcher earn his first four or five pitches, instead of the first one being put in play.”

Washington just last week expressed frustration that Luis Rengifo, another of his leadoff hitter choices, was making too many first-pitch outs.

The other candidates in the leadoff spot are outfielders Aaron Hicks and Mickey Moniak.

Hicks has a .511 on-base percentage this spring, with 10 walks in 45 plate appearances. He's also hitting .371 with two home runs, three doubles and a triple. Throughout Hicks' career, his onbase percentage has been about 100 points higher than his batting average.

“If Rendon is not in there, it would most likely be Hicks,” Washington said. “But Hicks can swing the bat. Hicks has been in situations where he can drive in runs.”

There is still plenty of flexibility with the Angels lineup, even though Washington insists he'd prefer to have a stable group.

“I want to try to make sure that I can maximize my lineup,” Washington said. “When you actually look at it, we're not going to be a team that is going to be able to just bang with people. We need people on base when our bangers do come up, so we can maximize. I tried to run the lineup out there the whole spring trying to see how it works. Right now I'm trying some stuff out.”

Shortstop Zach Neto hit leadoff at times in his rookie season, and he's hitting .333 with a .370 onbase percentage this spring, but Washington said he still believes No. 9 is the best place for Neto.

“He's hitting ninth because of his experience, or lack of,” Washington said. “I want him to settle in. I want him to have fun. I want him to believe what he's doing and if that time comes that I have to push him somewhere else, I'll do that when that time comes. And when that time comes, he would have shown me that it's time.

“Right now his time is in the ninth hole. I want him to be successful. Not that he can't handle the pressure of doing something else. But being in his first full year, I want him to relax and be successful. And I think he can down there because that's what he wants to do. You never know. He might come to me and tell me, `Hey, I can go lead off.' And because he told me that I might do it. But right now, he's right where he wants to be and he's right where he needs to be.”

First baseman Nolan Schanuel also hit leadoff last season, posting a .402 on-base percentage. Washington said he prefers Schanuel to hit second because his bat-to-ball skills make him a good candidate for situational hitting.