American Association Daily provides insights, features, and recaps of the action from around the American Association of Professional Baseball League, as well as player and coaching profiles and transactions. In today’s edition, Robert Pannier looks at the 12 leadoff hitters in the American Association, making a case for who is the best in the league.

Setting the Table

What makes for a good leadoff hitter? Traditionally, most think of this player as someone who has a lot of speed, stealing bases and taking the extra base to set the table for the 2-5 hitters. However, the reality is that a leadoff hitter could and should be much more than this. It should be someone who gets on base a lot, either through hits or walks. It does not matter that they have a great deal of speed, as long as they are creating scoring chances for their team.

The leadoff hitter should be good with the bat. If needed, he should be able to move runners over. He should also be someone who is smart when it comes to baserunning, knowing when to take the extra base, while also reading pitchers’ pickoff moves well. There are also those who have a lot of power, drilling 10-15 home runs while also setting the table.

In the American Association, there is a great blend of these qualities. Some teams have gone with the traditional speed guy at the top of the order, while others have been more concerned about someone who gets on base.

This creates for an interesting debate as to who is the best leadoff hitter in the American Association, because there are those who will value some factors over others. Here is the list of the 12 so you can make your own selection.

(List provided in alphabetical order by team)

Brennan Metzger (Outfielder, Chicago Dogs)

Brennan Metzger has been one of the most successful leadoff hitters in American Association history. He does all the things that one expects out of the No. 1 hitter, including getting on base, taking the extra base, and being quite smart with his base running.

Metzger is only hitting .158 through the first five games of 2023, but his resume is impressive. This is his eighth season in the American Association and Metzger is a career .275 hitters with an impressive .402 on-base percentage. That includes a .427 OBP last season when he walked a career high 81 times. In fact, in 529 career games in the league, the outfielder has 536 hits and 376 walks. That means he is reaching base by a hit or walk 1.8 times per game. Very good to say the least.

Delino DeShields (OF/2B, Cleburne Railroaders)

Delino DeShields is in his first season in the American Association and is off to a solid start, hitting .276 with five runs scored and three RBI in the first six games. DeShields is a former Major Leaguer, so his resume is quite impressive, and he is a prototypical leadoff hitter, recording at least 20 stolen bases in 11 different seasons, including 101 in 2012.

DeShields was solid at the Major League level, hitting .246 with a .327 batting average, scoring 302 runs in 601 games. He also stole 111 bases, thrown out just 32 times. Last season at AAA-Gwinnett (Atlanta Braves), DeShields stole 35 bases while thrown out just 11 times. He also walked 76 times, helping to earn a .367 OBP.

Evan Alexander (OF, Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks)

Evan Alexander is earning his first opportunity to be the leadoff hitter for the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, and is doing a fine job in his second season with the club. After hitting .249 in 76 games last season, Alexander is hitting .273 through the first six contests this year. He has posted a .360 on-base percentage and has scored six runs and stolen two bases.

Alexander began his career in the Yankees organization, and has three seasons where he had stolen at least 10 bases. He will likely not steal 20+ bases for the RedHawks, but a career .350 OBP in six minor league seasons makes him the kind of hitter that will keep this lineup producing runs on a regular basis.

Michael Woodworth (IF, Gary SouthShore RailCats)

Michael Woodworth is one of eight leadoff hitters who are hitting .333 or better. The Gary SouthShore RailCats infielder is off to a fast start, hitting .333 through the first five games with two triples, three runs scored, and two stolen bases.

Woodworth has always been an on-base machine since joining the American Association out of college. He signed with the RailCats in 2021, and hit .367 with a .429 on-base percentage in 31 games. Last season he appeared in 99 games, hitting .294 with a .359 OBP. He scored 75 runs last year while producing 31 extra-base hits. Woodworth is the kind of player you want at the top of your order, stealing 23 bases last year and he has 33 career steals with Gary, thrown out just eight times.

Johneshwy Fargas (OF, Kansas City Monarchs)

Johneshwy Fargas has taken over the leadoff spot for the Monarchs, and is off to a bit of a tough start, hitting just .200 in the first four games. He has gone hitless in three of his first four contests, but has scored two runs and has a stolen base.

Those who worry about Fargas at the top of the order should have little concern. The outfielder played 22 games at the Major League level, appearing for the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs in 2021 where he hit .250 in 54 plate appearances. Fargas spent nine years in the minors as well, hitting .249 with a .327 on-base percentage. He has 280 stolen bases in 704 career games, so he knows how to generate some offense for his team.

Armond Upshaw (OF, Kane County Cougars)

Armond Upshaw is in his first season with the Kane County Cougars, and he is making a solid impression early on, hitting .333 with five runs scored in five games. Upshaw has an impressive .500 on-base percentage and has stolen three bases.

The outfielder has proven to be a solid leadoff hitter in his time in the minor leagues, posting a .225 batting average, but has stolen 94 bases and scored 183 runs in 385 games. Last season he hit .257 at High-A Wilmington (Washington Nationals), posting a .343 OBP.

Blake Tiberi (IF), Nick Banks (OF) (Lake Country DockHounds)

Blake Tiberi began the season as the leadoff hitter for the DockHounds, but Nick Banks moved into that spot on Wednesday, and the offense produced 14 runs. Tiberi is hitting .143 through the first four games, but has a solid record in the American Association. The last two years he was with the Sioux City Explorers, hitting .272 with a .385 on-base percentage in 2021, and following that up with a .254 batting average and a .354 OBP in 2022. The club would like to see him remain in that leadoff spot.

However, Banks may have earned himself the job after an impressive performance on Wednesday. The infielder is hitting .333 with three runs scored and a .444 OBP, and starred in his first game at the top of the order, producing three hits and walking twice while scoring three runs. He has six years of minor league experience, hitting .259 but has just a .316 on-base percentage.

Cam Touchette (OF, Lincoln Saltdogs)

The Lincoln Saltdogs have had some outstanding leadoff hitter is in recent history and Cam Touchette looks like another great one. The outfielder is hitting .333 with three runs scored and a .500 on-base percentage through the first four games. This is his second professional season, as he appeared in 53 games for Gateway (Frontier League) last season, hitting .211, but posted an impressive .349 on-base percentage.

This is the first season where Touchette is going to be a regular starter, as he had just 90 at-bats in his 53 games last season. The outfielder stole 19 bases his freshman year at Kent State, but had just four stolen bases in seven attempts last season.

Bryan Torres (OF/2B, Milwaukee Milkmen)

Bryan Torres is quickly turning into an American Association sensation. After flirting with a .400 batting average last season, he finished at .374 with 73 runs scored, 56 RBI, and 22 stolen bases. This season Torres is off to a fast start, hitting .417, the top batting average among leadoff hitters in the American Association.

Torres had a solid minor league career, reaching AA-Richmond (San Francisco Giants) in 2021 where he hit .280 in 43 games. In his six minor league seasons, the outfielder only stole 47 bases and was thrown out 23 times, but has added the stolen bases a dimension to his game since joining the league. Torres is not just one of the best leadoff hitters, but one of the best players in the American Association.

Kyle Kasser (IF, Sioux City Explorers)

Kyle Kasser is in his first season with Sioux City and is making a quick impression as well. The infielder is hitting .333 with four runs scored and three RBI through his first five games. Kasser has a .450 OBP, walking four times, and has two stolen bases as well.

Kasser had solid numbers in his four minor league seasons, hitting .290 with a .360 on-base percentage. He also stole 33 bases in 44 attempts, scoring 121 runs in 287 games.

Wyatt Ulrich (OF, Sioux Falls Canaries)

Wyatt Ulrich is one of the most recognizable names in the American Association. This season he is off to a fast start as well, hitting .310 with six runs scored in six games. He also has two stolen bases, and has 33 stolen bases in his three year career in the American Association.

Ulrich has been impressive since joining the Canaries in 2021, hitting .327 with a .402 on-base percentage in his first season. He has put together several long hitting streaks, including hitting in 29 straight games in 2021, and reached base in 51 straight games that season. In three seasons in the American Association, Ulrich has a .331 batting average.

Dayson Croes (IF, Winnipeg Goldeyes)

Dayson Croes is in his first professional season and is making an impressive debut in the pro ranks, hitting .368 with a .455 on-base percentage through the first five games. He has scored twice and driven in five.

Croes was a standout at Quincy for three seasons, hitting .388 with 110 runs scored and 120 RBI in 119 games. He is not much of a stolen base threat, producing just two stolen bases in his college career, but is an on-base machine, posting a .453 OBP at Quincy.

By Robert Pannier