Tigers 3B Brandon Inge, a former catcher, is probably the most unlikely leadoff hitter in the majors. But, so far, he’s produced pretty good numbers. This season, Inge is batting .302 with 39 R, 6 HR and 30 RBI. His on-base percentage is a career-best .385.
Inge struggled as a hitter when he was a catcher. He batted .202 in 2002 and .203 in 2003. (He didn’t hit .204 in 2004.)
In 2004, with the arrival of Pudge, Inge was moved to the OF and then 3B. It now appears that catching was a drain on Inge’s hitting. (And for the record Inge was a very solid defensive catcher.)
Over his last 162 games, Inge is batting .285 with 73 R, 17 HR and 84 RBI.
Not too bad, especially from a guy in your leadoff spot. Plus, Inge is only 28 and probably just hitting his prime. He still needs to improve defensively at 3B, but overall he’s been one of the biggest reasons for the Tigers turnaround since 2003.
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