...that it's best to put a high OBP singles hitter in the 2 hole if you want to leverage the speed of your lead-off hitter. Cust would give Ichiro chances to steal, but he's either going to hit a double (most guys score on that anyway), a HR (all guys score on that), or a BB (doesn't change the leverage if Ichiro steals or doesn't steal second) if something good happens...and otherwise, the steal just works like a SH or a productive ground out if Cust does something bad (like K...which he'll do a TON).
Cust in the 2 hole would not help the speed game at all. I think if Smoak is now comfortable enough to avoid pressing like he did early in the year from the 4 spot...then the correct line-up arrangement goes Ichiro/Figgins/Cust/Smoak.
That does four things right:
1) Puts the singles hitter who can leverage Ichiro's speed and take a ton of pitches behind Ichiro
2) Gets Smoak in the middle of a ton of men on base situations because...
3) it gets the high OBP from Cust to the one spot where it actually helps the ballclub (he'd be drawing his "useless" walks ahead of the guy with the thunderstick)
and
4) Gets Cust some fastballs to hit in fastball counts.
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