Lineup Thread

[Stradling]

Because I am lazy and don't feel like finding our sick line ups and since we are only a week or so away from pitchers and catchers reporting, I think it is time again for our batting line up thread that we can all get excited about. These threads are usually fun and I know I like them, because they get me even more pumped for baseball to start, so here is mine.

Calhoun

Trout

Pujols

Hamilton

Freese

Ibanez

Howie

Conger/Ianetta

Aybar

That is pretty much a left/right line up all the way through except for Trout and Albert. The line up has the potential to be very deep when you have Howie hitting 7th.

[Second Base]

I think a lot of things are going to change this year, among them is personnel.  By the end of the season, I think we'll see Grant Green or Taylor Lindsey as the starting 2B, C.J. Cron our DH and Conger to take over the catching duties almost full time. 

 

RF Calhoun

CF Trout

1B Pujols

LF Hamilton

3B Freese

DH Cron

C Conger

2B Green/Lindsey

SS Aybar

 

Of course, I also predict Scioscia will infuriate fans beyond reason by forcing Trout to be a stationary player as he did much of last season, he'll bat Aybar leadoff just to piss of anyone who puts any weight in OBP, he'll bat Howie second to piss off the same crowd all over again, and will start Iannetta over Conger despite his inability to throw the ball to 2B. 

[Stradling]

I think a lot of things are going to change this year, among them is personnel. By the end of the season, I think we'll see Grant Green or Taylor Lindsey as the starting 2B, C.J. Cron our DH and Conger to take over the catching duties almost full time.

RF Calhoun

CF Trout

1B Pujols

LF Hamilton

3B Freese

DH Cron

C Conger

2B Green/Lindsey

SS Aybar

Of course, I also predict Scioscia will infuriate fans beyond reason by forcing Trout to be a stationary player as he did much of last season, he'll bat Aybar leadoff just to piss of anyone who puts any weight in OBP, he'll bat Howie second to piss off the same crowd all over again, and will start Iannetta over Conger despite his inability to throw the ball to 2B.

So Scotty, you don't expect the team to make the playoffs?

[fan_since79]

Because I am lazy and don't feel like finding our sick line ups and since we are only a week or so away from pitchers and catchers reporting, I think it is time again for our batting line up thread that we can all get excited about. These threads are usually fun and I know I like them, because they get me even more pumped for baseball to start, so here is mine.

Calhoun

Trout

Pujols

Hamilton

Freese

Ibanez

Howie

Conger/Ianetta

Aybar

That is pretty much a left/right line up all the way through except for Trout and Albert. The line up has the potential to be very deep when you have Howie hitting 7th.

 

That's a good lineup. I like Aybar down there in the 9-spot.

 

If Howie gets off to a good start, I might want to switch him and Freese.

[Stradling]

I want one of the stat guys on here to start a prediction thread. I would start one, but then people would be pissed when I gave the traditional three stat predictions. I will do one:

David Freese: .280avg 19hr 90rbi .355obp

[fan_since79]

The 90 RBI is overstating it, but I would be very happy with the rest.

Edited February 7, 2014 by fan_since79

[LAAMike]

Stradling,

 

I think that those numbers are slightly optimistic especially the 19 HR.  13-15 HR seems more reasonable but I hope that you are right.  Where were you on the Hamilton 28# thread when they started talking about In-and-Out?

[VariousCrap]

Because I am lazy and don't feel like finding our sick line ups and since we are only a week or so away from pitchers and catchers reporting, I think it is time again for our batting line up thread that we can all get excited about. These threads are usually fun and I know I like them, because they get me even more pumped for baseball to start, so here is mine.

Calhoun

Trout

Pujols

Hamilton

Freese

Ibanez

Howie

Conger/Ianetta

Aybar

That is pretty much a left/right line up all the way through except for Trout and Albert. The line up has the potential to be very deep when you have Howie hitting 7th.

 

 

 

I absolutely love this line-up.

 

I could see Howie and Freese switching if Howie has a solid year, but your line-up is the one that should be used on Opening Day.

[WallyWorld]

i fully support any lineup that has Aybar in the 9 hole where he belongs.

[Stradling]

Stradling,

I think that those numbers are slightly optimistic especially the 19 HR. 13-15 HR seems more reasonable but I hope that you are right. Where were you on the Hamilton 28# thread when they started talking about In-and-Out?

Yea, I saw it, I just didn't want to get into it, haha. Yes there are INO's in Dallas, but INO will always be about So Cal.

[tdawg87]

I think this has a good chance to be the regular lineup. Although I could see Aybar and Conger switching places. Could end up being a deadly lineup against righties.

[Stradling]

Last year, outside of injuries Mike didn't do as many crazy line ups as years past. I wonder what we will see this year. I think we will see our fair share of Howie and Aybar up at the top but only to tinker around a bit.

[Brent Maguire]

I'd bat Howie ahead of Ibanez but otherwise it looks like a good lineup.

Edited February 7, 2014 by Angels_Baseball

[Second Base]

So Scotty, you don't expect the team to make the playoffs?

 

I expect them to be very much in the mix, as in they'll be in the 90 win range.

[Stradling]

You expect them to do that with Cron and Lindsay in the line up? I am not that optimistic.

[Second Base]

You expect them to do that with Cron and Lindsay in the line up? I am not that optimistic.

 

By the end of the year.  I think if I drew it up the way I envision it happening, Ibanez is going to begin the season being terrible against LHP and acceptable against RHP, which makes him a platoon bat.  But Scioscia being how he is toward veterans, he'll probably keep Ibanez in the lineup against LHP clear into August.  The Angels will then promote Cron after a monster showing in AAA and he'll split time with Ibanez at DH and log some innings at 1B.  Ibanez will fade down the stretch just as he did last season.  Cron will have a strong enough showing that by early or mid September he'll just take over for Ibanez completely, who will be a bench bat by then, which would actually be quite handy in the playoffs.

 

As for the second base situation, I think a number of things are going to happen.  Howie will be his normal self, hitting around .280 or .290.  Grant Green's athleticism will take over and he'll actually become a pretty decent option for 2B.  Lindsey will start slow in AAA but by the end of August or early September will have heated up.  Burnett will be on the DL pretty much the whole year and DDLR will have felt the effects of over-use from 2013, which means the Angels will be relying on Kohn/Jepsen for the 7th inning.  Rather than doing the smart thing and promoting one of Morin/Alvarez/Bedrosian, they'll look for help from outside the organization at the trade deadline.  

 

Kendrick will spend some time on the DL in June and Green will be doing well enough that come the trade deadline when Kendrick's healthy again and the Angels are in the middle of a dog-fight in the AL West, they'll swap Kendrick for a setup man to solidify the bullpen.

 

I never actually thought about how it'd all shake out, but I guess this makes the most sense to me.  

[Ohtaniland]

Because I am lazy and don't feel like finding our sick line ups and since we are only a week or so away from pitchers and catchers reporting, I think it is time again for our batting line up thread that we can all get excited about. These threads are usually fun and I know I like them, because they get me even more pumped for baseball to start, so here is mine.

Calhoun

Trout

Pujols

Hamilton

Freese

Ibanez

Howie

Conger/Ianetta

Aybar

That is pretty much a left/right line up all the way through except for Trout and Albert. The line up has the potential to be very deep when you have Howie hitting 7th.

This lineup is all based on potential. It's very easy to get pumped up about what they used to do. Most of the lineup is on a downhill slide and aging. This is everyone's potential but.......... 

 

Calhoun 2013........282 / 8hrs / 32rbi's / .808ops  (upside potential)

Trout 2013............323 / 27hrs / 97rbi's / .988ops (upside potential)

Pujols 2003...........359 / 43hrs / 124rbi's / 1.106ops (never going to see this again)

Hamilton 2010.......359 / 32hrs / 100rbi's / 1.044ops (never going to see this again)

Freese 2012.........293 / 20hrs / 79rbi's / .839ops (he could match this)

Ibanez 2006..........289 / 33hrs / 123rbi's / .869ops (never going to see this again)

Kendrick 2011......285 / 18hrs / 63rbi's / .802ops (he could match this)

Aybar 2009...........312 / 5hrs / 58rbi's / .776ops (he could match this)

Iannetta 2008.......264 / 18hrs / 65rbi's .895ops (never going to see this again)

 

 

 

 

Weaver 2011.......18-8 / 235ip / 198K's / 2.41era (never going to see this again)

Wilson 2011.........16-7 / 223ip / 206K's / 2.94era (he could match this)

Richards 2013.......7-8 / 145ip / 101K's / 4.16era (upside potential)

Santiago 2013......4-9 / 149ip / 137K's / 3.46era (upside potential)

Skaggs 2013........2-3 / 38ip / 36K's / 5.12era (upside potential)

Mulder 2001.........21-8 / 229ip / 153K's / 3.45era (never going to see this again)

 

 

[arch stanton]

I still prefer Trout leading off to give him and Albert a little separation and to give him the maximum possible ABs.

[Stradling]

Yea, the reason I put Calhoun leading off is someone posted a quote from Scioscia saying Trout would not be leading off.

[mrwicked]

we all know damn well aybar is going to lead off.

[Marsaka]

we all know damn well aybar is going to lead off.

 

lol i was thinking this after every single post in this thread.

 

the real lineup will be:

 

aybar

kendrick

trout

pujols

hamilton

freese

ianetta

calhoun/schuck platoon lefty lefty platoon based on whatever is gong through scioscia's puny brain that day.

dh platoon based on lefty righty matchups!

 

sure this lineup doesnt make any sense but tell me this isnt a typical mike scioscia lineup?

[Stradling]

He didn't mess with last years lineups that much until all of the injuries. But yes, in the past Mike has put up some crazy lineups. Not much different than what Maddon does in TB.

[HaloNation]

Trout should bat 3rd.

[Docwaukee]

my favorite was Izturis batting 3rd.  

[nikkachez]

Calhoun

Trout

Pujols

Hamilton

Freese

Ibanez

Kendrick

Iannetta/Conger

Aybar

 

Calhoun gives us a OBP guy at the top, Freese hits between the lefties and gets on base for the slugger Ibanez, keep Howie lower in the lineup where he's had better numbers and even said he's more comfortable, keep Aybar as far away from the lead-off spot as possible.