Spencer Horwitz is here to stay.
After a terrific season in 2023 with the Buffalo Bisons where he slashed .337/.450/.495 with 10 homers in 484 plate appearances, along with a higher BB% (16.1%) than K% (14.9%), the 2024 season was going to be the year he became a regular.
In 2024 with the Bisons, he slashed .335/.456/.514 with four homers and an International League-leading 22 doubles in 259 plate appearances, along with a 17 BB% and a 15.8 K%. At this point, his spot on the Jays’ roster could no longer be denied, especially since he started playing second base more regularly.
On June 7, the Blue Jays finally pulled the trigger and called him up. Since then, he’s slashed .389/.476/.444 with a double, two RBIs, and a 164 wRC+ with a 0.2 fWAR.
However, one question I have and will seek to answer in this article is “where should Spencer Horwitz hit in the lineup”.
What does Horwitz do well
The 2023 and 2024 season in Triple-A isn’t the only time Horwitz had had a higher BB% than K%, as he also had a 14.9 BB% and a 14.1 K% in 2021 with the Vancouver Canadians. That season he also broke the 60-year-old Northwest League record for most games with a hit with 28.
💥 NEW RECORD ALERT 💥
He has now broken the NWL/High-A West League consecutive hit streak record!
Horwitz has gone 47-for-107 (.439):
♦️ 12 doubles
♦️ 7 home run
♦️ 23 runs scored
♦️ 31 RBI
♦️ 19 walks pic.twitter.com/aeD2XVE5J8— Vancouver Canadians (@vancanadians) September 10, 2021
So, it’s not like his past two seasons have been a flash in the pan. Horwitz is a terrific hitter and couples that with gap power and a great eye at the plate.
It’s not a stretch to say you’d want him at the near top of your lineup. While he may never hit for much home run power (career-high in homers in 12), like Jonah Hill said portraying “he gets on base”
Exactly. pic.twitter.com/9ZESfNPGgI
— Ryley Delaney (@Ryley_L_D) June 13, 2024
Taking a look at minor league stats from the first four spots in the lineup
Horwitz is good enough to warrant playing above the bottom of the lineup, but doesn’t have the power of someone who can hit clean up (but that didn’t stop the Bisons from trying). We’ll look at how well he’s hit from the lead-off spot, the two and three hole, as well as the clean up spot.
Lead off spot
Surprisingly, Horwitz didn’t lead off often with the Bisons in 2023. In just nine at-bats or 15 plate appearances, Horwitz slashed .222/.533/.222 with two singles and six walks with no strikeouts.
Spencer Horwitz's first plate appearance of the season ends with a home run to give the Buffalo Bisons a 2-1 lead! pic.twitter.com/sO1wOybZiT
— Ryley Delaney (@Ryley_L_D) March 29, 2024
The 2024 season has been a different story in how the Bisons have deployed Horwitz. He’s played 40 games in the lead-off spot, slashing .316/440/.449 with a home run in 158 at-bats, or 191 plate appearances. On top of that, Horwitz had a home run (on what was his first plate appearance of the season) and walked and struck out an equal number of times, 33 each.
Two-hole
Last season with the Bisons, Horwitz only had 55 at-bats, or 61 plate appearances in the two-hole, slashing .273/.339/.345. There was a lack of power from the spot, hitting just four doubles with no home runs, along with six walks with seven strikeouts.
Of the four spots, the two-hole is his second most common spot in the lineup, and also his best. In 36 at-bats or 46 plate appearances, Horwitz is slashing .444/.565/.833 with two home runs coming from the two-hole. On top of that he has double the walks (10) compared to strikeouts.
Horwitz hits IKF home and the Jays take a 2-0 lead! 🙌
📺: Sportsnet
📲: Stream on Sportsnet+ pic.twitter.com/6AXrlr7YI8— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 12, 2024
Although a small sample size, the two-hole had been Horwitz’s best spot before the call-up in 2024.
Three hole
Horwitz hit plenty in the third spot last season for the Bisons, and that’s where he excelled. In 210 at-bats or 254 plate appearances, Horwitz slashed .381/.489/.590, his best slash line in all three categories. On top of that, he hit nine of his 10 home runs in the two-hole and walked 44 times with 37 strikeouts.
Despite being his best spot in 2023, Horwitz only has 15 at-bats or 18 plate appearances batting in the spot designated for the best hitter. There, he’s slashing .267/.353/.467 with a home run, with three walks and three strikeouts.
Like the two-hole, it’s a small sample size, but Horwitz has a track record of hitting well in the third spot in the lineup.
Clean up
The first baseman wasn’t bad at all in the cleanup spot, but he hit just one home run in 109 at-bats, or 125 plate appearances. Overall, he slashed .294/.400/.404, still good enough for an OPS of .804, but struck out 26 times with 16 walks.
However, Horwitz hadn’t played a game batting fourth in 2024, which makes sense as he doesn’t have a ton of power.
So where should the Jays play him in the lineup
Horwitz, without question, should get an opportunity to play every day at the top of the lineup. And thus far, the Blue Jays have done a good job.
In his five games thus far, he’s played two games in the two-hole and three games in the lead-off spot. It’s a small sample size, but either the lead-off spot or the two-hole is the ideal spot for Horwitz in the big leagues.
As always, you can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.
