Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien will be in an unusual spot in the batting order for the American League All-Stars on Tuesday.
Semien, who is typically not questioned about his place in the lineup, found himself pondering when he last batted ninth. Filling in for Houston’s Jose Altuve, Semien will hit last for the All-Star Game at Globe Life Field.
Reflecting on the last time he hit ninth, Semien guessed, “I think it might have been 2016 in Oakland. I think I hit the most home runs in the nine hole that year. I was really proud of that.” That year, Semien batted .238 with 27 home runs and 75 RBIs, a breakthrough in his power numbers. According to baseball-reference.com, he batted ninth in 32 games, hitting .226 with nine home runs and 15 RBIs. However, he also batted ninth in four games in 2017, a detail Semien seemed to forget.
Rangers shortstop Corey Seager quipped about Semien’s memory, “He probably hasn’t looked at the lineup card in I don’t know how long.”
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, who will lead the American League team after the Rangers’ World Series win last November, informed Semien of his batting position on a plane ride from Houston. Bochy humorously mentioned that discussing Semien’s lineup spot is something he tries to avoid.
“I sat on the plane with him a little bit and told him he’ll hit ninth,” Bochy said. “He’ll probably get one at-bat. (I want to) split that up at second base. Of course, Marcus will do whatever. He said, ‘Well, if you look at numbers, that’s where I should be hitting.’”
Semien has primarily been the Rangers’ leadoff hitter for the past three seasons and has missed just three games since joining the team in 2022. He enters the second half of the season with a .242/.311/.392/.703 slash line, 13 home runs, and 51 RBIs in 94 games.
