Amed Rosario is transitioning into his role as the leadoff hitter for the New York Mets and manager Mickey Callaway loves what he sees.
The New York Mets are surging once again and Amed Rosario is setting the table for the big bats behind him.
The 23-year-old shortstop is taking over leadoff duties while Jeff McNeil recovers from a hamstring strain. According to Mickey Callaway, Rosario is embracing his role.
“He’s more locked in,” Callaway told Mike Francesa of WFAN. “He’s very more alert. I think he’s embracing this leadoff role. We’re going to have a decision to make when Jeff McNeil comes back. …
“That’s what I’m kind of looking at. He came in that first day, four or five hits in the first game he led off and just kind of been going from there. So we have some decisions to make. I know McNeil would like to hit second. He’s talked about that.”
Callaway is going to have to decide who leads off when McNeil is healthy, but it sounds like he is leaning towards keeping Rosario in the leadoff spot full-time.
As the first batter in the game, Rosario is slashing .500/.520/.708 in 25 games. Of course, McNeil is slashing an impressive line of .364/.395/.597 in 81 games. However, McNeil has proved that he can hit no matter where he is in the lineup.
If Callaway decides to stick with his shortstop in the leadoff spot, the lineup could feature Rosario, McNeil, Pete Alonso, and Michael Conforto in the top four spots. That is a young group that looks dangerous.
