Here is my wishlist for the batting order for opening day. I'll probably change my mind as spring training starts but these my current thoughts:

1. Grandal (R/L) - He's going to get on base a lot more than the other leadoff candidates while seeing a lot more pitches too, which benefits everyone behind him. He cleans up the end of the order nicely too. It also puts the pressure of leading off on our highest paid guy.
2. Yoan (R/L) - I want our best hitters getting the most at bats and I think he's our best hitter, but he did better when he wasn't leading off. This puts two guys at the top that will see a lot of pitches which makes for a rough start for pitchers while helping other guys see what the pitchers got.
3. Jose Abreu (Right) - He's the heart of the team and he's done well over the years in the three hole with no protection behind him. The two guys in front of him see a lot of pitches so I'm not as concerned about the slightly lower walk rate than other potential guys that could fill the 3hole.
4. Eloy (Right) - He's going to hit 100 home runs this year so we should keep him in the 4 spot.
5. Tim Anderson (Right) - Last year's AL batting champ deserves a good spot in the batting order. He needs protection behind him too cause he'll strike out a lot if pitchers can pitch around him.
6. Luis Robert (Right) - Long-term, I think he's a great lead-off guy so I'm doing another reset where I get two speedy guys back to back who hit well with Tim and Luis and then Edwin is going to hit clean up for these two guys. Luis doesn't have to take on the pressure of hitting earlier while he figures out major league pitching.
7. Edwin Encarnacion (Right) - Hate putting this guy so far back but Tim needs protection behind him. If pitchers pitch around Tim they will strike him out a bunch. Edwin can hit clean up for Luis robert and Tim Anderson.
8. Mazara (Left) – Mazara hit in the 3hole some last year and he can hit for power, so he still offers some protection for Edwin Encarnacion. He seems like the weakest link on paper so the 8-hole seems appropriate.
9. (2nd base) I’m not as sold as most people that Nick's hitting style will play as well as it did in the minors. That being said, hitting here will take some pressure off of him and if he gets on base a high rate he'll fit well at the back of the order because the top of the line up can drive him in.

TerryBevingtonWorshipPodcast would have been a better username.

_________________

Flip Grandal and Anderson

_________________

Truer words have never been spoken.

The catcher leading off. GTFO with that nonsense. Hopefully Grandal hits the OP in the face with his bat.

_________________

DB and Frank bullying another new guy. Very SAD!


Bring Nicky up right away and let him lead off

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Welcome Patrick or Josh!

_________________

Nah. The Opening Day lineup should be;

Robert CF
Timmay SS
Yoan 3B
FAR SUPERIOR 1B
Eloy LF
Edwin DH
McCann C
Mazara RF
Madrigal/whoever 2B

McCann for game #1 as I am assuming Giolito is the Opening Day starter.

_________________

I'll go with Frank's batting order.

_________________

Josh can go fuck himself. The ass bag that swore the guy playing the OK game at the Cubs game was a racist.

Everyone's entitled to one bad opinion.

_________________

Lol, the big FA signing riding the bench day one.

_________________

Grandal won't be on the bench. Encarnacion probably would be if they went with this lineup.

_________________

hehhehsackmachinefan

I can see that. Grandal as the DH then.

_________________

Ricky already said he's not batting Robert leadoff at the beginning of the season.

This season is really going to be telling for Ricky. He has the horses in the offensive lineup. Ricky has already shown a lack of logic in his lineups last year in batting Anderson low so frequently despite his league leading hitting and insisting on Abreu third

Thinking like Ricky here is what I think HE will have the order on Opening Day against a RHP:

1. Anderson
2. Moncada
3. Abreu
4. Eloy
5. Grandal
6. Encarnacion
7. Mazara
8. Robert
9. Leury

I kind of like that. I just don't think Ricky is going to move Abreu out of that third spot for so many Ricky type reasons. I can also almost guarantee you he is going to cement Robert and Madrigal that low no matter how well they play. That 3-6 is just begging to be broken up by a speed/power combo like Robert.

I think we will see that signing Abreu for three years instead of sticking with the QO was the wrong move. He is going to be sinking further and further down the order if Ricky gives any consideration to analytics.

Once Madrigal comes up, he takes the 9th spot, Mazara drops to 8th and Robert is 7th.

_________________
O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

So mean. No wonder less than a dozen people attend the shitty games.

I'd flip Encarnacion and Anderson. Otherwise it's perfect.

_________________
General Jim wears Fort Bragg down... to get it!

Grandal, considering Ricky's stance on Robert, is not at all a surprising choice for leadoff. There's a dearth of power bats, and with Grandal's .380 OBP, seems to be the only option other than Timmay.

Anderson at 5 is bad. See him at 9 when the lineup is really clicking. Keuchel gets opening day. Former Cy Young. Giolito gets game 1 in the LCS though.

_________________
Why are only 14 percent of black CPS 11th-graders proficient in English?

My absolute wishlist?

1. Robert
2. Betts
3. Moncada
4. Eloy
5. Encarnacion
6. Grandal
7. Abreu
8. Anderson
9. Madrigal

You’re gonna bat the MLB batting champ at 9 on a team unlikely to make the playoffs?

That’s bold.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Fuck outta here with Betts and create a real one.

Anderson at 8 is ridiculous. Is that you, Ricky?

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

God, OP's lineup is a pile of suck.

Moncada
Grandal
Anderson
Abreu
Eloy
Encarnacion/McCann
Robert
Mazara
2B

_________________
"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

Betts is not gonna be worth the money he is gonna "command".

I agree with JORR, I think he’s close but might flip Anderson and Grandal but it’s tough to bat Grandal that low after you made him your signature FA signing.

It’s a decent thread topic. There’s a lot of interesting options and less definitive answers.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

It is a good topic. And I'm tired of Baby "On his period" Frank bitching all the time and being a prick to the new posters. Dude put himself out there. Maybe Seacrest and give baby Frank a midol so he's in a better mood.

Grandal hit 2nd a lot in Milwaukee. Good OBP and bat control. I would want Timmy behind that, make pitchers throw him a lot of fastballs with Abreu protecting him.

Ideally Madrigal will eventually lead off, so you can put Moncada at 4 and Mazara at 7 and spread out the lefty bats. But I think that Ricky will want to leave the young players in one spot in the lineup and move the veterans around as needed.

The other thing I could see Ricky doing is having Robert hitting 9 for a while until he gets comfortable. He'd be giving up an AB but he'd have Moncada hitting behind him.

_________________
"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

Starting rotation is almost solidified. They will want to go lefty righty all season so giolito gets the opener with kuekchel in game 2 Lopez Gonzalez and cease to follow

_________________
O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

At Trump Uni we learned in Psych 101 about why guys like frank act the way they do.

You know what i'm talking about. It's not pretty.

Nuff said, He's our cross to carry or something.

I miss Keyser. or...The Hawk is Keyser.

_________________
"Change has come to Amerika."- TFG

Absent them making the trade for Betts

1. Robert
2. Anderson
3. Moncada
4. Eloy
5. EE
6. Abreu
7. Grandal
8. Leury
9. Madrigal