Reese Kaplan -- An Early Look at Lineup Construction

Well, it’s February and although it’s still possible personnel moves will be made, more likely what you see is what you’re going to get barring injuries, scorching hot Spring performances or players who simply don’t adjust to whatever role they’re asked to play.  So put on your thinking cap and let’s speculate how best Mickey Callaway can deploy the resources he has available to him.

Projected Lineup

CF           Brandon Nimmo

3B           Jed Lowrie

2B           Robinson Cano

C             Wilson Ramos

LF            Michael Conforto

1B           Todd Frazier

RF           Jeff McNeil

SS           Amed Rosario

My Logic

Nimmo leading off is a no-brainer as he sports the highest OBP of anyone on the team.  Also, in a lefty-heavy lineup it’s good to lead off with a lefty if you’re going to construct a batting order designed to alternate between the lefties and the righties.

Although Lowrie typically hit 3^rd in Oakland, he profiles more as a classic number 2 hitter in that he exhibits great bat control and makes the pitcher work. His OBP is second only to Nimmo. You could advocate for Amed Rosario in this spot, but I think a great many of us skeptics want to see him pick up where he left off the last 6 weeks of 2018 before we’re ready to anoint him mature enough for that slot.  Add in the fact that Lowrie is a switch hitter and it makes him even more valuable.

Robinson Cano typically hit in the 3^rd spot in the batting order and there’s no reason to take the left slugger out of where he’s both comfortable and productive.  With Nimmo and Lowrie in front of him, he should get plenty of RBI opportunities.

The next one might come as something of a surprise.  Wilson Ramos is a very good hitter but probably not the high power r run production you think about for a prototypical cleanup hitter.  While he has hit as many as 22 HRs and driven in as many as 80, he did so from other positions in the order.  That being said, he has served the cleanup role at times for both the Nationals and the Rays, so it’s not entirely new.  Sandwiched between a couple of formidable lefty hitters like Cano and Michael Conforto who follows, he may be in for the season of his career.

Michael Conforto is indeed a run producer with excellent power.  What people want to see is first and foremost health, followed by an uptick in his batting average.  He protects Ramos from righties who may not want to face Conforto and some pressure is taken off of him as he’s faced almost since his arrival to be “The Man” to produce runs.

Todd Frazier (at least until Pete Alonso arrives) provides the right-handed balance should a southpaw want to pitch around Conforto.  Assuming you get more of the .213 hitter with decent power that we’ve seen for the past few years, he doesn’t deserve to hit any higher in the lineup. 

Jeff McNeil may hail from California but he might want to check his birth certificate to ensure he’s not really from Missouri since everyone this side of Tom Brennan want him to “show me” he can do it again.  Since there is some uncertainty regarding his offensive sustainability and the fact that his power that was on display in the minors in 2018 didn’t translate once he arrived to The Show, 7^th is about as high as I can justify (for now). 

Finally, Amed Rosario in his customary 8-hole helps provide in effect a second leadoff hitter type with great speed who could theoretically turn an on-base opportunity into man-on-third with one out between a stolen base and a sacrifice from the pitcher. 

Bear in mind that the lineup is organic and does not yet account for the CitiField effect on various hitters’ numbers.  My objective was to go lefty/righty as much as possible.  What’s your take?