I remember the days where the leadoff guy was someone who would hit .280-.320 with absolutely zero power and never walked but could steal 50 bases and for some reason was a terrible center fielder defensively. Looking at you Alex Sanchez and Roger Cedeno….
Yes- analytics have shifted more towards putting your best hitters in the top 3 spots so they’re likely to get more ABs overall
But also
No- it’s just because Ibanez typically hits LHPs well.