Cardinals' Paul DeJong: Could hit third in order
DeJong could serve as the Cardinals' No. 3 hitter to begin the season, Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Though offseason pickup Paul Goldschmidt hit third or fourth in the lineup for much of his time in Arizona, manager Mike Shildt acknowledged in December that deploying the first baseman second in the order behind Matt Carpenter was "in play," per Hummel. Goldschmidt was actually at his best while hitting second in 2018 -- he posted a 1.104 OPS in 47 games out of that slot -- offering support to the idea of the Cardinals "frontloading" their lineup with their top two hitters. With Marcell Ozuna and Yadier Molina likely earmarked for the Nos. 4 and 5 spots, respectively, DeJong looks like the best bet among the remaining Cardinals regulars to hit third, given the superior power he's displayed through two seasons in the majors. The shortstop's plate approach still leaves something to be desired and makes him somewhat of a batting-average risk, but any deficiency in that area could be offset by likely upticks in run-scoring and run-producing opportunities if he seizes hold of the No. 3 spot.
