What is our batting order/ Where should Mike Trout hit?

[ukyah]

11 hours ago, Troll Daddy said:

I think we'll see Calhoun batting 5th/6th next season. 

i do too, and i'd predict espinoza is slotted behind him.

my prediction for the "starting" lineup.

escobar

maybin

trout

pujols

calhoun

espinoza

cron

simmons

maldonado

 

possibly swap cron and espinoza. this is the lineup as i see scioscia filling it out.

 

[ukyah]

5 hours ago, Troll Daddy said:

As usual you don't have a opinion of your own. 

this is a pretty idiotic thing to call an informed opinion. hold yourself to a higher standard, big guy.

[nikkachez]

I wish they had oooooone more impact bat to slide Trout up to the 2 spot, I think he should hit 2nd anyway, but I'd feel way better about it if they had just one more big impact bat.

 

1. Yunel

2. Trout

3. Mystery Hitter

4. Pujols

5. Calhoun

6. Cron

Drool*

[Docwaukee]

Baseball Musings lineup optimizer has the team at about 5 runs per game (800 runs) with the following lineup assuming similar production of last year for the returning crew and career avgs for maybin, espinosa, and maldonado.  (Not sure why I did it like that).  

Escobar, Trout, Pujols, Calhoun, Cron, Maldonado, Maybin, Espinsoa, Simmons

Bear in mind, this assumes that no subs ever play. 

Flipping Calhoun and Trout would cost about 4-5 runs.  

Outting maybin 2nd costs about 15 runs if he produces at his career levels.  

If Cron slugs .500 and has an obp of .335 and Simmons does what he did in the second half of the season (.350/.400), that's an additional 30-35 runs.  If Maybin somehow produces what he did last year then with are +45.  

Last year's team produced 717 runs.  If the starters were in every game we should have produced about 750 runs.  So assume about a 30 run decrease from expected when the bench is accounted for.  

Our current lineup should give us about 750-780 runs when also accounting for the bench.  Even on the low end, a 3-4 WAR improvement seems like a lot, but it makes sense when you consider how bad 2b and LF were. 

Replacing Escobar with Turner adds about 30 runs.  Oddly enough, If you put Turner's numbers into our lineup, the optimal puts Trout in the leadoff spot.  

Replacing Maybin's career numbers with Cespedes numbers from last year, adds close to 5 wins.  

What's interesting about either of those is that the amount of improvement is far greater than the WAR difference those players provide.  So there truly is a statistical basis for the whole being greater than the sum of the parts.  Something to keep in mind when assessing the impact of a player and how lengthening a lineup is a big deal.  

[ukyah]

hopefully we sign turner and cespedes.

[Troll Daddy]

On 12/24/2016 at 9:51 PM, nikkachez said:

I wish they had oooooone more impact bat to slide Trout up to the 2 spot, I think he should hit 2nd anyway, but I'd feel way better about it if they had just one more big impact bat.

 

1. Yunel

2. Trout

3. Mystery Hitter

4. Pujols

5. Calhoun

6. Cron

Drool*

Bingo ... although, the team is lacking the mystery hitter. That leaves Trout having to bat third next season. 

Those who want Calhoun batting third haven't thought it through. 

 

[Ohtaniland]

So who starts at first base this season? Because Albert said he wanted to do less DHing in 2017.

[vladdy#27]

LF Maybin

RF Calhoun

CF Trout

DH Pujols

1B Cron

3B Escobar

2B Espinosa

C Maldonado 

SS Simmons

 

I have a feeling we're going to see a big dip in Escobar's numbers. He's going into his age 34 season and from 2015 to 2016 we already saw his OPS drop 45 points. Add to it that he's a terrible base runner and hits into twice as many double plays as Maybin, who is a much better base runner, makes me give the leadoff spot to him. Hopefully Maybin can have an OBP around .325-.340 while stealing 20-30 bags. Depending on how much Escobar falls off or how well Espinosa translates to the AL and does in his walk year I would even contemplate flipping those two. 

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

Trout should hit right before Harper on the Yankees. 

[Hubs]

Who is the best bunter on the team? 

I don't know how well Escobar, Maybin, Espinosa or Maldonado bunt, but going on gut feeling I get

1) Maybin

2) Escobar

3) Trout

4) Pujols

5) Calhoun

6) Cron / Marte

7) Espinosa

8) Maldonado / Perez

9) Simmons

 

 

[Dick B Back]

On 12/26/2016 at 8:44 AM, CALZONE said:

So who starts at first base this season? Because Albert said he wanted to do less DHing in 2017.

Albert and his constant plantar fasciitis will be DHing.

[Stradling]

3 hours ago, Rosewood said:

Trout should hit right before Harper on the Yankees. 

- Calzone

 

[Ohtaniland]

41 minutes ago, Stradling said:

 

No worries, Harper will sign a huge deal with the Angels and have the opportunity to play baseball with the 7 new prospects the Angels get from the Yankees for Trout. 

[disarcina]

I would bat Trout third in the line up.

want him up in the first inning and as many times as possible

[disarcina]

Harper --

saw him play last year in a couple of games at SF and, of course, have seen him on TV games.

what's the fuss?  I'm obviously a Halos fan, so yeah, I'd favor Trout -- but seriously, if anyone is trying to compare the two, there is none.

Trout is so far superior, and likely the best player in all of MLB right now -- I'm not sure if I would place Harper in the top ten -- seriously.

the Trout/ Harper comparisons and 'who's better debate' is pretty ridiculous. It's not even close enough between the two to make a comparison.

[WeatherWonk]

Seriously? Not even in the top 10 of position players? (its hard to compare pitchers to position players)

My top 10, in no particular order:

Trout, Cutch, Machado, Altuve, Betts, Lindor, Donaldson, C. Seagar, Arrenado, Bryant.

Hey, waddaya know! He ain't in my top 10 either!!

Never realized how good Lindor was till I saw him play this past post season.

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

On 12/27/2016 at 3:41 PM, Stradling said:

 

Quote

 

Don't misquote me.  

[Robrock30]

I have been the lineup guy for years dating back to the MLB Board & I prefer Escobar leading off, Trout #2 as most do as he needs to come up early & often, not sure who should bat 3rd but maybe Albert.  Important to have a speedy high OBP hitter batting #9 maybe Revere if he can be that guy.  My recollection is Maybin isn't a high contact guy for #9.

[Dtwncbad]

I don't really loathe any of the individual players in any of these lineups.  But frankly, seeing them together in an actual lineup does feel a little yucky.  Too many "just getting by" spots screaming for at least ONE significant offensive upgrade.  Too many spots that are pedestrian.

I still cannot quite digest why the Angels would not have considered someone like Cespedes to drop in there to bring the lineup into a world of legitimacy.  Yes, I get the money and the interest in rebuilding the farm.  But winning matters too!  Realistically if the Angels pitching stays healthy and Cespedes has a normal Cespedes year, I could see the Angels as a postseason team in 2017.  Not going to happen now (obviously), but how much more energized would the Angel fan base be if the opening day lineup was:

Escobar

Trout

Cespedes

Pujols

Calhoun

Cron

Simmons

Espinoza

Maldonado

I don't want to pick on Maybin personally, but it is pretty hard for me to ignore that I can realistically see Maybin either getting hurt and missing 60 games, or delivering an OPS in the 600s.  Of course I am not rooting for that, but I have to be honest that this is a possibility.  Compare that to a fairly reliable .850 OPS from Cespedes?  Cespedes would bring people out to see the team and tune into the games.  I don't see Maybin contributing in the marketing side of the business at all.

For the record (shouldn't have to say it) I am pulling for Maybin.  I would love to see a breakout year.  I just wouldn't bet on it.

[Angel Oracle]

Latest prediction of mine:

Escobar

Maybin

Trout

Pujols

Calhoun

Cron

Simmons

Maldonado/Perez

Espinosa (solid speed and so-so OBP tailor made for 2nd leadoff hitter)

[totdprods]

3 hours ago, Dtwncbad said:

I don't want to pick on Maybin personally, but it is pretty hard for me to ignore that I can realistically see Maybin either getting hurt and missing 60 games, or delivering an OPS in the 600s.  Of course I am not rooting for that, but I have to be honest that this is a possibility.  Compare that to a fairly reliable .850 OPS from Cespedes?  Cespedes would bring people out to see the team and tune into the games.  I don't see Maybin contributing in the marketing side of the business at all.

For the record (shouldn't have to say it) I am pulling for Maybin.  I would love to see a breakout year.  I just wouldn't bet on it.

There's $101 million dollars difference there though.

At the end of the day, I don't think Eppler is seeing things as Player A vs. Player B or even total money in these situations. 

I think it's simply how much the worst case scenario would affect the team. 
 

[totdprods]

4 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

Latest prediction of mine:

Escobar
Maybin
Trout
Pujols
Calhoun
Cron
Simmons
Maldonado/Perez
Espinosa (solid speed and so-so OBP tailor made for 2nd leadoff hitter)

I like this one and think it is likeliest. IF Maybin shows that last year wasn't a fluke, I would quickly flip him and Yunel. Get Maybin's speed on for all of Yunel's singles/contact. 

[Angel Oracle]

True, Maybin's speed and OBP could turn a solid number of Escobar singles into 1st and 3rd situations. 

[totdprods]

10 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

True, Maybin's speed and OBP could turn a solid number of Escobar singles into 1st and 3rd situations. 

Which would be a virtual guaranteed 1st inning run with Trout up and nobody out.
Yunel hit .317 in the 1st inning in '16, and .358 in the 1st inning in '15. Watching games last year, it seem like he singled the first time up almost all the time.

[Angel Oracle]

And Escobar's high contact rate would seem to be tailor made for the #2 spot.