2019 Lineup Thread (Batting Order)

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Yeah, that's a really shortsighted post. Cain has had a rough two weeks after a stellar, consistent, 8 year career with Gold Glove defense in centerfield. The main problems are Shaw, Shaw, Aguilar, and Shaw.

 

Everybody else has been fine on the whole and have had stretches of excellence this year. Grandal's defense is slightly worrisome, but his switch hitting, excellent approach at the plate and the ability to hit lots of homers in bunches more than makes up for it. Thames is similar (but worse) and is relied upon less. Perez is there for utility defense, enabling us to roster guys like Shaw and Thames. Any offense from him is basically a bonus (and he has some pop and some speed which are luxurious tools for a bench super utility guy). Braun is Braun.

 

Again, Shaw and Aguilar are the only issues.

 

Cain’s on base 100 points lower than last year, that’s a massive regression.

 

2 black holes and 1 super massive black hole.

 

Cain with a 5 for 5 game. Who else can you reverse jinx by prematurely saying they suck?

[TJseven7]

I try to with Shaw every day it seems.

 

3-4-5

 

Batting 3rd 49 42 190 175 20 39 8 0 10 32 3 0 14 43 .223 .280 .440 .720 77 3 0 0 0 1 1 .238 90 78

Batting 4th 53 42 186 155 17 31 7 0 4 18 4 1 24 51 .200 .315 .323 .638 50 5 3 0 2 1 3 .265 73 60

Batting 5th 51 42 184 165 16 33 3 0 8 19 0 0 17 48 .200 .283 .364 .646 60 10 2 0 0 0 0 .229 73 77

 

Sub 210 BA

Sub 295 OBP

Sub 670 OPS

 

For reference: Arcia is batting 250/.318/.704

 

I'm down right excited to put Hiura in the freaking 3 hole at this point. Not that I expect him to be a savior but I also don't expect a .223/.280/.720 slash line.

 

Other than Yelich 2nd, just DFS our 6th batter every night.

Batting 6th 54 42 176 149 23 44 9 0 9 25 2 0 23 43 .295 .394 .537 .931 80 3 2 0 1 0 1 .357 148 150

 

Basically you can talk round and round in circles about the batting order but through 43 games we might as well have played Cain Yelich Hiura Erceg Arcia and we'd have been better off until the 6 hole.

[MrTPlush]

Wow, some of you guys must be spoiled.

 

1) Braun has been fairly decent even taking out the 6 hit game. Majorly streaky it seems, but overall the results have not been terrible. His OPS was .727 before the 6 hit game....yah not great, but certainly nowhere near bad.

 

2) Just because Cain has, so far, regressed majorly on offense doesn't make him a black hole. Is a .726 OPS really black hole territory? Seems kinda average to mean.

 

The black holes are Shaw (obviously) and Aguilar if we are looking at overall stats on the year. Aguilar has really turned it around of late though and Arcia has been good enough to be competent on offense. Though he can become the worst hitter in baseball faster than you blink it seems.

[Brew crew 92]

Wow, some of you guys must be spoiled.

 

1) Braun has been fairly decent even taking out the 6 hit game. Majorly streaky it seems, but overall the results have not been terrible. His OPS was .727 before the 6 hit game....yah not great, but certainly nowhere near bad.

 

2) Just because Cain has, so far, regressed majorly on offense doesn't make him a black hole. Is a .726 OPS really black hole territory? Seems kinda average to mean.

 

The black holes are Shaw (obviously) and Aguilar if we are looking at overall stats on the year. Aguilar has really turned it around of late though and Arcia has been good enough to be competent on offense. Though he can become the worst hitter in baseball faster than you blink it seems.

 

Prior to last nights offensive explosion, he WAS a black hole as a lead off hitter with an on base barely over .300. Zero of us thought that would continue much longer and it looks like that black hole has disappeared.

[pacopete4]

[sarcasm]I'm shocked[/sarcasm] that certain people are being dramatic about some of our players. [sarcasm]Shocked I tell ya![/sarcasm]

[adambr2]

I don't think we'll see it right away, but eventually:

 

1) Cain

2) Yelich

3) Hiura

4) Moustakas

5) Grandal

6) Braun/Gamel

7) Aguilar/Thames

8) Arcia

[HarveysWBs]

I don't think we'll see it right away, but eventually:

 

1) Cain

2) Yelich

3) Hiura

4) Moustakas

5) Grandal

6) Braun/Gamel

7) Aguilar/Thames

8) Arcia

 

I really hope you are right, because that would mean Hiura is killing it in the bigs by the end of the season (I won't contemplate the possibility of all of Moustakas, Grandal, Braun, and Gamel falling off a cliff offensively, which would be the other scenario in which Hiura would hit third). I have no idea how one would find statistical evidence for such a thing, but a rookie being made a #3 hitter on a contender has to be pretty darn rare.

[Brew crew 92]

Enough of Aguilar starting vs righty’s, without power, he’s hurting the team team clogging the bases. Let’s see what Thames can do with lots of ab’s.

 

This team needs a healthy productive Travis Shaw. No two ways around this one.

 

Hiura looks overmatched against higher velocity, maybe he’s just Nervous, but it is concerning.

 

Think Stearns has work to do at the deadline, we need a professional hitter added to this lineup. First baseman. Unless Travis Shaw goes off.

[PeaveyFury]

Thames has quietly been pretty bad over his last 25-30 ABs as well. They're getting virtually no production from 3 of their 4 corner IF's, and they're still winning a lot of games. If the lineup ever starts hitting from top to bottom, this team will be very tough to beat.

[Brew crew 92]

Thames has quietly been pretty bad over his last 25-30 ABs as well. They're getting virtually no production from 3 of their 4 corner IF's, and they're still winning a lot of games. If the lineup ever starts hitting from top to bottom, this team will be very tough to beat.

 

Thames AB’s have been sporadic, I think with consistent playing time he’ll do better than a powerless, sloth like Aguilar.

[wntrtxn21]

Thames has quietly been pretty bad over his last 25-30 ABs as well. They're getting virtually no production from 3 of their 4 corner IF's, and they're still winning a lot of games. If the lineup ever starts hitting from top to bottom, this team will be very tough to beat.

 

Thames AB’s have been sporadic, I think with consistent playing time he’ll do better than a powerless, sloth like Aguilar.[/quot

 

Thames isn't going to get anything close to consistent playing time unless Aguilar get hurt. Thames is a strikeout waiting to happen. Last year 40% or the time and so far this year 45% of his ABs have been Ks. I think the Crew is looking to move him in a salary dump.

[adambr2]

Thames has quietly been pretty bad over his last 25-30 ABs as well. They're getting virtually no production from 3 of their 4 corner IF's, and they're still winning a lot of games. If the lineup ever starts hitting from top to bottom, this team will be very tough to beat.

 

Thames AB’s have been sporadic, I think with consistent playing time he’ll do better than a powerless, sloth like Aguilar.[/quot

 

Thames isn't going to get anything close to consistent playing time unless Aguilar get hurt. Thames is a strikeout waiting to happen. Last year 40% or the time and so far this year 45% of his ABs have been Ks. I think the Crew is looking to move him in a salary dump.

 

You keep using his AB's rather than his PA's to determine his K rate which is really misleading. He's actually striking out 34.8% of the time which is still a lot but it's certainly not 45%. He's also got a 124 OPS+ which is well above average and gets on base nearly 40% of the time. As long as his OBP stays up over. 350 he is far from a liability in the lineup.

[Brew crew 92]

Thames has quietly been pretty bad over his last 25-30 ABs as well. They're getting virtually no production from 3 of their 4 corner IF's, and they're still winning a lot of games. If the lineup ever starts hitting from top to bottom, this team will be very tough to beat.

 

Thames AB’s have been sporadic, I think with consistent playing time he’ll do better than a powerless, sloth like Aguilar.[/quot

 

Thames isn't going to get anything close to consistent playing time unless Aguilar get hurt. Thames is a strikeout waiting to happen. Last year 40% or the time and so far this year 45% of his ABs have been Ks. I think the Crew is looking to move him in a salary dump.

 

Don’t like Thames either, but going with the lessor of two evils here.

[Brew crew 92]

Shaw off to a bad start in his rehab, 1 for 9, with 3 Ks. Thinking he might be down there a while. He’s been too good a hitter to not eventually hit again right?

[NYChez]

Shaw off to a bad start in his rehab, 1 for 9, with 3 Ks. Thinking he might be down there a while. He’s been too good a hitter to not eventually hit again right?

Because it’s baseball, Shaw will hit .450 in the second half.

[pacopete4]

I wonder when they’ll start to think about dropping Cain. OBP is his game and so far it’s not there yet. Arcia has a higher OBP right now. Gamel could start seeing more starts in CF if it continues.

 

Edit: Time to flip Arcia and Cain in the order? Cain looks old this year. Soft contact and not working walks.

[MVP2110]

At what point do we consider starting Braun at 1b and Gamel in LF on a semi regular basis? Something like

 

LF Gamel

RF Yelich

1b Braun

3b Moose

C Grandal

CF Cain

2b Hiura

SS Arcia

[homer]

I wonder when they’ll start to think about dropping Cain. OBP is his game and so far it’s not there yet. Arcia has a higher OBP right now. Gamel could start seeing more starts in CF if it continues.

 

Edit: Time to flip Arcia and Cain in the order? Cain looks old this year. Soft contact and not working walks.

 

I feel like just about the time we start talking about sitting guys or moving them down in the order they start hitting. So time to buy low on Cain in daily fantasy leagues I guess

[pacopete4]

I wonder when they’ll start to think about dropping Cain. OBP is his game and so far it’s not there yet. Arcia has a higher OBP right now. Gamel could start seeing more starts in CF if it continues.

 

Edit: Time to flip Arcia and Cain in the order? Cain looks old this year. Soft contact and not working walks.

 

I feel like just about the time we start talking about sitting guys or moving them down in the order they start hitting. So time to buy low on Cain in daily fantasy leagues I guess

 

Agree. I love Cain. Wish we had him for an entire career. Hope he gets going and last nights game was a good sign to see.

[rickh150]

I wonder when they’ll start to think about dropping Cain. OBP is his game and so far it’s not there yet. Arcia has a higher OBP right now. Gamel could start seeing more starts in CF if it continues.

 

Edit: Time to flip Arcia and Cain in the order? Cain looks old this year. Soft contact and not working walks.

 

I feel like just about the time we start talking about sitting guys or moving them down in the order they start hitting. So time to buy low on Cain in daily fantasy leagues I guess

 

Agree. I love Cain. Wish we had him for an entire career. Hope he gets going and last nights game was a good sign to see.

 

Odds are, based on his age, he will get worse each year while Hiura gets better each year. At some point, Hiura bats 1 or 2 and Cain hits 6 or 7. My guess is it will happen in 2021.

[Brew crew 92]

Here’s what I’d do:

 

Go with a 12 man staff.

 

Shaw/Peréz/Braun 1B

 

Hiura 2B. Arcia SS. Moose 3B

 

Braun/Gamel. Cain. Yelich

 

Grandal C

 

Aguilar Thames pinch hit

[MVP2110]

^ sounds perfect. Eventually either someone will have to go on the IL or one of Aguilar or Thames will keep performing badly and we'll cut bait

[young guns]

The conversation about moving arcia up in the order needs to start, and so I will start it. Over his last 28 days, he is hitting .321/.409/.519. The issue as I see it, is that he has earned a spot higher up on the order, but there's not much room for him to fit in there. Yelich, moose(assuming he doesn't end up on the IL), and Grandal are pretty much locked into the 2, 4, and 5 spots respectively and huira is thriving in the 6 spot. The 3 hole doesn't really fit him and frankly when braun is hot he belongs there. Braun is ice cold right now and I would be interested in dropping cain to the 3 hole with arcia leading off, but I just don't see braun being dropped in the order. The 7 spot would be ok, but I don't see it as much of a change to be worth risking rocking the boat. So that would leave moving him down to the 9 spot with the pitcher 8. I think this would be the move the has the best chance of actually happening that would be the greatest benefit. Try to get some more runners on base for yelich.

 

Ultimately I expect nothing to happen, but it would be nice to benefit more from what I think is arcia finding it.

[True Blue Brew Crew]

Hiura batting cleanup today.

[Oxy]

I'm not sure where this Braun being ice cold thing is coming from. He's had 4 multi-hit games in his last 7 starts since May 24th. He hasn't hit a homer in awhile, but I didn't really expect him to hit 35 bombs as a non-full time player this year. The microscope on him is ridiculous around here.