Jump to content
  • Welcome to AngelsWin.com

    AngelsWin.com - THE Internet Home for Angels fans! Unraveling Angels Baseball ... One Thread at a Time.

    Register today to comment and join the most interactive online Angels community on the net!

    Once you're a member you'll see less advertisements. Become a Premium Member today for an ad-free experience. 

     

IGNORED

OC Register: Angels’ Ron Washington has a tentative lineup plan, with Anthony Rendon hitting cleanup


Recommended Posts

TEMPE, Ariz. — Ron Washington doesn’t care that Anthony Rendon is no longer a power hitter.

The Angels manager said he’s still planning to hit his third baseman in the cleanup spot.

“You don’t have to be in the fourth spot and third spot and be a home run hitter,” Washington said. “You’ve just to be a consistent hitter, and that’s what Rendon is. We’ve just got to get him back to consistency. But hitting in the middle of the lineup, that’s where Rendon is going to be.”

None of this is going to apply if Rendon is on the injured list, as he’s been for most of the last three seasons. When Rendon is there, though, Washington wants to take advantage of what he does well, rather than worrying about what he doesn’t.

Rendon averaged 26 homers during his final four seasons with the Washington Nationals, but he’s hit only 22 homers in 200 games with the Angels.

Over the last two seasons, though, Rendon has a .269 average with runners in scoring position, with only 13 strikeouts in 110 plate appearances.

Besides having Rendon in the middle, Washington already has some other firm ideas about how he’d like his lineup to look during the season.

He’s already changed his mind about the leadoff spot. Last week he said he wanted first baseman Nolan Schanuel to hit leadoff, which was a nod to his .402 on-base percentage in his big league debut last year. Now, though, Washington said he’d rather have Schanuel hit second.

“The way he can handle the bat, I think he can be a big asset for us in that second hole,” Washington said. “We’ll work it out down here in spring training and see where it goes. If anything changes, I’m quite sure you guys will ask me that question. But right now down, when we start, I’m gonna put him in the second hole.”

Washington said he changed his mind because he wanted “somebody that’s got a little bit of speed” leading off. He identified outfielder Mickey Moniak and infielder Luis Rengifo as the most likely candidates for the top of the lineup. Each hit leadoff for stretches last season.

Shortstop Zach Neto also hit leadoff at times in 2023, but Neto told Washington that he wants to hit ninth.

“He said he loves restarting,” Washington said. “He loves turning the lineup over. He wants to be on the bag and score some runs for those guys.”

Washington said he’s tentatively planning on Mike Trout hitting third, followed by Rendon, outfielder Taylor Ward, second baseman Brandon Drury and catcher Logan O’Hoppe.

The No. 8 spot could be either Jo Adell or Aaron Hicks, with Neto rounding out the lineup.

Although Washington said he’d rather have a set lineup and not too many platoons, Rengifo and Hicks are much better against left-handed pitchers, and Moniak is much better against righties.

Matt Thaiss, who is in line to be the backup catcher, is more likely to start against right-handed pitchers.

NOTES

The Angels’ Cactus League opener, against the Dodgers on Saturday at Tempe Diablo Stadium, is already sold out. Shohei Ohtani is not scheduled to play in that game. The Angels play the Dodgers again on March 5, at the Dodgers’ home ballpark in Glendale. …

Outfielder Nelson Rada, one of the Angels’ top prospects, is in big league camp, even though he’s just 18. “He doesn’t carry himself like he’s 18,” Washington said. “He has a lot of confidence in what he’s doing. We’ll see what that confidence does once we start getting him in some real games against some big league players and big league pitching. But right now this kid is handling himself well.”

View the full article

Link to comment
Share on other sites

49 minutes ago, Swordsman78 said:

Planning a line up around Rendon could be considered managerial mal practice.

 

Better off planning on him being in the 7th spot (which would be easier to replace should things go sideways in April).

They are building it around Trout. The world understands this. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I see Rendon at #4 being as much about serving as a sort of second lead-off guy for the middle of the order as it is him being a guy to drive in #1-3. 

The power isn’t there, and might not come back, but he still makes really decent contact and walks as much as he strikes out. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly I've been going back and forth with the ideal line-up and the one that I preferred for opening day is the following; 

1. Rendon, The power is a big question mark, however he still get on base, hits double and single. 

2. Trout, He the best hitter and I think you hit him the second spot, with the hopes that Rendon gets on baseball more.

3. O-Hoppe, honesty for me the 3-hole is the all-or nothing hole. That is What O'hoppe is! Hope is that O'hoppe comes to at-bat with people on and hopefully hits one out. If not, you also don't waste one of your better hitters with on one on base. 

4. Ward, If he's healthy, I think he is the 2nd or 3rd best hitter. For me, the 4th hole is similar to the lead-off hitter to start a new inning, and you would want your better OBP/Power guy or if there are people on base, hopefully you get some runs out of it. 

5. Schanuel, this is where it gets interesting, but I prefer a high OBP/contact guy.

6. Drury, All-or nothing approach here again

7.  Rengifo, Similar to Ward's case/

8. Neto, I think he be more of a contact orientated type of player next season.  

9. Adell/Hicks/Moniak, All or nothing 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Vlad27Trout27 said:

Honestly I've been going back and forth with the ideal line-up and the one that I preferred for opening day is the following; 

1. Rendon, The power is a big question mark, however he still get on base, hits double and single. 

2. Trout, He the best hitter and I think you hit him the second spot, with the hopes that Rendon gets on baseball more.

3. O-Hoppe, honesty for me the 3-hole is the all-or nothing hole. That is What O'hoppe is! Hope is that O'hoppe comes to at-bat with people on and hopefully hits one out. If not, you also don't waste one of your better hitters with on one on base. 

4. Ward, If he's healthy, I think he is the 2nd or 3rd best hitter. For me, the 4th hole is similar to the lead-off hitter to start a new inning, and you would want your better OBP/Power guy or if there are people on base, hopefully you get some runs out of it. 

5. Schanuel, this is where it gets interesting, but I prefer a high OBP/contact guy.

6. Drury, All-or nothing approach here again

7.  Rengifo, Similar to Ward's case/

8. Neto, I think he be more of a contact orientated type of player next season.  

9. Adell/Hicks/Moniak, All or nothing 

 

I actually like this. I agree with the way you’ve described the roles too, and breaking the lineup into thirds - OBP, contact, then power - in a repeating pattern is a neat concept.

Edited by totdprods
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm curious to see if we actually do start running more. Maddon wanted to do that, but I don't remember it really happening. Someone who remembers better can correct me on that if I'm wrong. Clearly that's what Washington wants, though, since that seems to be the key factor in moving Schanuel from leadoff to batting second. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Skram said:

He is somehow managing to not use modern statistical analysis or "old-school manager" thinking as he explains his thought process here. 

he is using "old-school manager" thinking...

 

He said at leadoff, “I want somebody who has some speed" and "I don’t want Schanuel to get on the bag and then clog them. "

And he said he wants Schanuel second "because he can move the baseball around the field and the second hole is situational.”

https://www.mlb.com/angels/news/ron-washington-lays-out-potential-2024-angels-lineup

 

That sounds pretty old-school manager-thinking to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

30 minutes ago, BTH said:

he is using "old-school manager" thinking...

 

He said at leadoff, “I want somebody who has some speed" and "I don’t want Schanuel to get on the bag and then clog them. "

And he said he wants Schanuel second "because he can move the baseball around the field and the second hole is situational.”

https://www.mlb.com/angels/news/ron-washington-lays-out-potential-2024-angels-lineup

 

That sounds pretty old-school manager-thinking to me.

Well, I was more talking about how he doesn't care if he has a lack of power from his clean up hitter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...