An optimistic--but possible--lineup for 2017

[Angelsjunky]

Let's assume everyone performs at or near their potential. Not necessarily career years, but towards the higher end of what they've already done or, in some cases where the trajectory is upward (e.g. Cron), some moderate improvement. This is how such a lineup would look:

LF Maybin .285/.350/.400, 10 HR, 25 SB, 110 wRC+, 3 WAR

3B Escobar .290/.350/.390, 5 HR, 5 SB, 100 wRC+, 2 WAR

CF Trout .310/.430/.580, 33 HR, 30 SB, 175 wRC+, 9 WAR

RF Calhoun .270/.350/.440, 20 HR, 5 SB, 120 wRC+, 4 WAR

1B Cron .280/.330/.490, 25 HR, 5 HR, 125 wRC+, 3 WAR

DH Pujols .265/.320/.470, 28 HR, 0 SB, 110 wRC+, 1 WAR

SS Simmons .280/.320/.370, 5 HR, 15 SB, 95 wRC+, 4 WAR

2B Espinosa .240/.300/.420, 20 HR, 10 SB, 95 wRC+, 3 WAR

C Maldonado .220/.310/.350, 7 HR, 0 SB, 75 wRC+, 1 WAR

 

OK, that isn't super exciting but it is pretty solid. Of course the scary part is that there's only one true star, the scary part being reliant upon one man's continued good health for even an outside chance of competing. But the positive is that while the underbelly (#7-9) is a bit soft, it isn't horrible, and the overall result of mostly average to above average hitters could be very good.

[arch stanton]

Assuming Albert starts the season, the top 5 or 6 is not going to change. It'll be Escobar, Calhoun, Trout, Pujols, Cron, with either Simmons or Maybin 6th. If nothing else I think the bottom of the order will at least make the pitchers work a little harder this year.

[Angelsjunky]

Maybe, maybe not. Maybin seems wasted later in the lineup and I like the idea of having the two pretty good OBP guys ahead of Trout. I could see Sosh liking it too.

But yeah, I don't see Sosh batting Pujols #5 or 6, certainly not behind Cron - even though he probably should, at this point.

I've also always liked the idea of having your worst hitter hit #8 so that you have a decent guy before the top of the lineup. But Sosh doesn't seem to work that way.

 

[ukyah]

where did espinoza usually hit in the nationals lineup? 8th?

[arch stanton]

I just think Sosh will see t top half as not broke so not requiring a fix. The catchers will probably hit 9th with an eye toward pinch hitting for them in late game situations.

[Docwaukee]

so I plugged your numbers into baseball musings lineup optimizer.  Giving us 5.079 runs per game.  

the optimum lineup for the above would be:

maybin/escobar, trout, pujols, calhoun, cron, simmons, escobar/maybin, espinosa, maldonado.  

which would give 5.158 rpg.  

couple of thoughts.  

If maybin puts up an ops of .750, I'll be ecstatic.  I am going with .330/.390

I think Escobar, Cron, Pujols, and Maldonado are fair.  I'd like to think Martin is going to do a little better than that, bu his attention is going to be on the new staff he has to learn.  

I think Trout is a bit aggressive.  

While I think Caloun is fair, he's primed for a breakout.  

I don't see Espinosa slugging .420.  Career is .388 and he's switching leagues as well as hitting in a pitchers park.  

I think Simmons figured something out last year offensively.  Over his final 340 pa, he hit .315/.363/.412.  While I don't see that continuing, I think he's gonna be at .335/.400.  

Oddly enough, that would give us 5.173 rpg with the following lineup ie within 2 runs. 

escobar, trout, pujols, calhoun, cron, simmons, maybin, espinosa, maldonado. 

 

I have always like the idea of Calhoun hitting in the cleanup spot, but my guess is it's gonna be escobar, calhoun, trout, pujols, cron as the top 5.  I think Maybin will hit 6th followed by Simmons and then Espinosa and Maldonado.  

Of course the run predictions don't account for bench play.  

 

[Angelsjunky]

Good stuff, Doc. I agree with most of what you say...the numbers I concocted were not as much predictions of what will happen, but what could happen in an optimistic-but-possible scenario. Chances are one or two players out-perform what I predict and several under-perform and/or are injured.

[Troll Daddy]

Calhoun hitting clean up is a bad idea imo. I prefer Pujols until something better comes along. 

Most of the offense came from 1-4 in the lineup as usual. I'd prefer Calhoun in the fifth spot in the lineup followed by Cron. 

Escobar, Maybin, Trout, Pujols, Calhoun, Cron, Simmons, Espinosa, Maldonado. 

We'll probably break a record in lineup changes next season.

 

 

 

[Troll Daddy]

Maybin, Trout, Escobar, Pujols, Calhoun, Simmons,Cron, Espinosa, Maldonado ?

 

 

[Stradling]

Escobar

Trout

Kole

Albert

Cron

Maybin

Simmons

Espinosa

Maldonado

[tdawg87]

Sosh will bat Simmons 4th at some point during the year for the lulz.