Of course, we're assigning causality without accounting for all the variables. It could very well be the case that Stubbs would have posted the exact same line out of the leadoff spot as he has out of the #7 spot and that the "improvement" we're seeing is as much a result of seeing more pitching and making adjustments as it is anything else.
Leadoff / #7 -- the skill set remains pretty consistent: pitch recognition, swing at good pitches, lay off bad pitches.