Brett should lead off. Not because he'll swipe bases, but because his OBP is likely to be high and his slugging low.

If we have another issue where Gardner gets scared to run in front of the big bats or whatever nonsense we heard last year, I don;t think it really matters if he's 1 or 9.

[2] It matters. The guy who gets on base more should get more plate appearances.

[3] Exactly. In fact, it is arguably better if he gets scared to run "in front of the big bats" [2] ---so long as he is on base, the big bats will take care of the rest in most cases. The imperative to run all the time would be greater if he were batting farther down in the lineup.

Man, Cano just put a charge into one in the first inning of the Blue Jays game.

[3] You're assuming they both play at the level they did last year.

Inasmuch as the first batter can set the tone, it should be Gardner. I like the idea of the lead-off hitter being pesky and seeing a lot of pitches. Jeter's at bats are usually pretty short