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Canha is a leading candidate to bat first for the Athletics this season, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Marcus Semien and Tommy La Stella led off in all but four games for the Athletics last season, but neither of them are on the team this year. Canha primarily batted fifth and never hit higher than third, though he does seem like a natural fit for the role. He doesn't have the speed of a traditional leadoff man but has the on-base ability that managers look for. He owns a 14.1 percent walk rate over the last two seasons, helping him to an elite .393 on-base percentage, a number that ranks eighth among qualified hitters over that stretch. If he does indeed lead off, he'll trade a few RBI for a few runs. More importantly he'd see a bump in total plate appearances, which would slightly boost his fantasy value.
