Watching Opening Day brought a couple of questions and concerns (not necessarily new) about the lineup. I know Eckstein brings a lot to the table: he is a "pest," "scrappy," and can hit and run with the best of them; however, if the leadoff man is not productive, Eckstein's value lowers considerably! The problem with having "Eck" bat #2 instead of #8 is that if the leadoff batter (Cabrera or Gwynn Jr.) does not get on base, "Eck" has a historically low OBP for his type of play - no power and no speed. As a result, it really hampers the lineup if the lead off man is sup-par, especially with "Eck" batting number two setting the table in front of players (the main dish) like Adrian, Blanks, and Headley.

Tony Gwynn and Everth Cabrera both have question marks. Cabrera's talent is not a question; it is uncertain, however, how his jump from Low-A and how he will handle a full year in the majors during a 162 game grind will affect his performance. With Tony Jr., we see a player who has been thrown under his father's shadow and pegged a 4th outfielder since he did not catch on with the Brewers. Since coming over, TGJ did show he could be a very valuable outfielder (great ST numbers); if he can get hits, draw walks, steal 20 bags while in a platoon scenario with Scott Hairston (a rare a player that flourishes in Petco), TGJ can be a decent game-by-game match up if utilized correctly.

In conclusion, because of some question marks in the lineup, if the Padres are to score runs, they must have their leadoff hitter draw walks, slap hits, steal bags to utilize what "Eck" can bring - or else, it will be a very long year for Adrian, Blanks and the rest of the Padres offense.