JUPITER, Fla. -- Pick a spot in the order, any spot, and the Marlins are comfortable hitting Brian Anderson there. As one of the new faces of the franchise, Anderson projects to be a focal point in the lineup, wherever he is batting. But of all the scenarios being considered, the 25-year-old third baseman appears to be finding a home hitting second.

“I like Andy in the two-hole because I think it's a spot he can do a lot of things,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “If we get some guys on base in front of him, that two-hole is a good spot. It comes up quicker in the lineup when you turn it over, it's usually an RBI situation.”

The more chances Anderson has to hit, the better for the Marlins. In 2018, he logged 670 plate appearances and 590 at-bats and was one of the club’s top all-around hitters. His slash line was .273/.357/.400 with 11 home runs and 65 RBIs.

“I think the plan is, we want to have a lineup that's well-rounded,” Anderson said. “Have the guys on the bottom as guys who can get on base, too. That way you're never really rolling over the lineup. If you have the seven, eight, nine guys get on base, you're one, and two guys can drive in runs, as well.”

As a rookie in 2018, Anderson hit .367 with runners in scoring position.

Across the board, Anderson was impactful with traffic on the bases. With a runner on first base, he hit .271. His average jumped to .341 with men on first and second, .667 in first-and-third situations, .450 with a runner on second base, and .444 with a man on third.

“For me, it's more of getting on base, moving runners over and let those guys behind me drive me in,” Anderson said about hitting second. “I think that's something nice to have up there in the two-hole. You try to be somebody that you can't get shifted against that much. Somebody that can get on base, use the whole field. Just to get on for those guys that can come through and bang some doubles and homers.”

A year ago, Anderson established himself as one of the top rookies in the National League. He finished fourth in the National League Rookie of the Year Award voting.

“I try to treat all the at-bats the same, regardless of where I am in the lineup,” Anderson said. “I think you understand that if you're in the two-hole, you have some thumpers behind you. You've got guys, who are more of the drive-em-in-type guys.”

Anderson is enjoying a strong Spring Training, hitting .353 with two home runs, seven RBIs and an OPS of 1.097 in 34 at-bats.

“He's a really good hitter,” second baseman Starlin Castro said. “He knows how to hit, and he can put the ball in play, and he can get walks, too. To have him in the two-hole, there's a pretty good chance that we drive him in or he drives a lot of runs in, too.”

In a lineup that will not rely heavily on home runs, the Marlins will be counting on doing the little things, with an increased focus on situational hitting. 

Mattingly has different options for the leadoff spot. Curtis Granderson, a left-handed batter, is a likely option against right-handed starters, and Miguel Rojas likely will get chances at the top of the order against lefties.

“At the end of a game, if things go right, the top of the order, you want him up there,” Mattingly said. “So you're trying to get more at-bats.

“But I just like Andy, period. It doesn't matter if it's second, fifth, fourth, third. It really doesn't. It's just how you try to form your order and how it works best together.”