Shin-Soo Choo likely to lead off, per Woodward

Texas Rangers outfielder/DH Shin-Soo Choo will likely be the team’s lead off hitter in 2019, per manager Chris Woodward (via the beat guys on Twitter).

There had been some speculation that Delino DeShields might hit lead off, but Choo, as one of the team’s top OBP guys, makes sense to slot at the top of the order. That potentially sets the stage for Elvis Andrus to hit second, potentially followed by some combination of Nomar Mazara and Joey Gallo.

This would also seem to indicate that Choo is expected to be in the lineup most days. That’s not unexpected, though there’s been at least a little speculation that Choo might lose playing time to Willie Calhoun, the young LF/DH who has impressed the team with his work and dedication this offseason.

So for now, expect to see Choo hitting lead off most games once the season starts.