Will Venable looks to have the leadoff spot

Before the spring started, there was debate on who would be the lead-off man for the Padres. Would it be Orlando Hudson, Jason Bartlett, Cameron Maybin, or Will Venable?

It seems that Bud Black came into the spring with Will Venable as the leading candidate to take that spot in the lineup. In all but one of Venable’s starts this spring, he has been the lead-off hitter. He will need to set the table for the rest of the lineup by getting on base and finding ways to score.

Don’t be surprised when Manager Buddy Black starts fiddling around with the lineup by moving Venable later in the lineup if he starts getting a hot bat. If Cameron Maybin starts hitting, then he could take over the lead-of spot. The lead-off position will be a work in progress, but at the start of the season, it seems that we will get to see a lot of Will Venable leading off.

Here are his splits based on batting order position: