Wieters knows what Eaton can do from top of lineup

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Since the moment the Nationals pulled the trigger on a deal at the Winter Meetings to send three top pitching prospects to the White Sox for center fielder Adam Eaton, Nationals fans have contemplated the havoc that could be created atop a lineup headlined by Eaton and Trea Turner.

It didn't matter which speedster hit first and which was second. The twosome sat atop mock lineups all through the dead of winter, tantalizing on-base guys to put in front of the meat-of-the-order bats of Daniel Murphy, Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon.

But through 11 Grapefruit League games, it's Turner who has gotten the lion's share of the leadoff duties, hitting in that spot six times. Eaton has led off once; more surprisingly, he's been the No. 2 hitter only twice. Three times, he's hit sixth and once seventh.

Manager Dusty Baker is quick to point out that fans should read little into who hits where in February and March. He's trying to figure out a myriad of possibilities. And when games start for real April 3 at Nationals Park, it's a good bet Turner and Eaton will be the top two hitters in the order, setting the table for the big sticks in the middle.

Eaton has stated a preference for hitting leadoff - it's where he's spent most of his time in a five-year major league career, hitting first in all but 57 of his 505 career starts. But he's also said he wants to do what is necessary to help the Nats win, so he'll hit anywhere Baker wants him to.

Likewise, Turner prefers the one-hole, though his unique blend of speed, on-base capability and an emerging power stroke might make him better suited for the second spot in the order. He hit there frequently in college and as a Padres minor leaguer, so it wouldn't be a difficult transition.

Catcher Matt Wieters knows Eaton better than Turner, having game-planned against the former White Sox leadoff man while he was with the Orioles. And Wieters thinks the veteran currently offers something from the leadoff spot that Turner might still be learning.

"He's a pesky hitter when you're trying to get him out," Wieters said of Eaton. "That first hitter of the game when he was hitting for Chicago, he can really get the fire burning, get the pitcher angry right from the get-go, which can help your other offensive guys behind him."

That's fine by Eaton, who craves the opportunity to get the Nationals offense going.

"I love to try to impact the game as much as I can and being lower in the lineup, sometimes you don't get as many at-bats. ... The approach changes dramatically," Eaton said at the start of camp. "In the leadoff spot, you want to get on any way, shape or form. See as many pitches as you can. Later in the lineup, it definitely matters who hits in front of you, behind you. If you're in the eighth spot, the pitcher's behind you ... and that puts a big brake on things."

So Baker has twin options at the top of the lineup. Not a bad situation, especially considering both guys who could hit leadoff are perfectly comfortable and capable of hitting second.

"Either's fine with me," Turner said. "I just want to score some runs."