Is anyone else in dire need of baseball? I'm starting to get itchy for balls and strikes and doubles rolling into the gap. The Detroit Tigers have been busy this offseason cleaning up after last year's mess of a season, and it has gotten me thinking about how they are going to look this season. The major new piece is Justin Upton, whom they signed to a six year, hundreds of millions of dollars contract. Everyone seems to be happy about it, but I'm a little hesitant because he seems a bit streaky to me. Don't get me wrong, I love his defense and was a solid option to put out in left field, but from what I can tell, he seems to be a streaky hitter that can carry a team or cause ulcers in the fans and managers. The big question after his signing is where will he hit in the lineup. There's lots of options because he has pop in his bat, has speed if needed, and can provide high on-base percentage at bats. Below is what I think is a good idea of a lineup. People who know more than I might yell and scream about it, but let me defend myself.
1. Ian Kinsler
2. Jose Iglesias
3. Miguel Cabrera
4. J.D. Martinez
5. Victor Martinez
6. Justin Upton
7. James McCann
8. Nick Castellanos
9. Anthony Gose/Cameron Maybin
Kinsler has history at the lead off spot in Texas and in Detroit, I like him there again this year. He's a veteran bat that can reach the seats, but can also slap doubles down the line...when he's not popping up that is. He is the leadoff man that you want on your team. While his speed is slowly declining, he can still swipe bases, but with the lineup behind him, he doesn't necessarily need to make things happen.
Iglesias might spark some questions, but hear me out. Over the past two years, he has hit .300 and had an on base percentage of .348. He dropped his strikeouts by twenty last year while doubling his walks. Those are the four major stats that I look at with a batter like Iglesias. He isn't going to hit twenty to twenty five home runs a year, he's the guy that is going to manufacture runs with average and speed. If he can build off of last year's stats, he can be a good number two hitter. What I look for in a number two hitter is, can he move the leadoff guy? Can he set up the power hitters for a big start to the game? I know he has hung out at the bottom of the order during his career, but I think he has the potential to be a top of the order guy. He does need to work on the double plays he hits into, but I think he could fit near the top.
Cabrera....that's all I need to say.
J.D. Martinez is better protection for Cabrera than Victor Martinez (based on last year). Victor struggled (and I mean STRUGGLED) last year. J.D. Martinez is surging into the prime of his career. Why wouldn't you want a guy like J.D. protecting your best hitter? Now, I know Victor has more history than J.D., but he has not been healthy two of the last three years, and until he proves to me that he can be that hitter he was two years ago, I think J.D. is the better option. The one major problem is that Victor is that he is so slow on the base path. He makes molasses in February look fast. Is it a possibility that the Super Martinez Brothers can be swapped out throughout the year? Absolutely.
The next three guys can be juggled in the six through eight spots throughout the year. From what I can gather from each of them, they all go in streaks. Hot for a six game stretch, cold the next two weeks. Hot for a month, cold for a week. James McCann is a work in progress, he has not been around long enough to have a strong opinion on him. I think he will be what we all thought Alex Avila was going to be after his 2011 season. The kid looks like he was plucked out of a corn field in Iowa (yes, I know he is from Arkansas) and given a bat. I like him to be the catcher for the foreseeable future. DON'T FUCK THIS UP! Justin Upton, as stated above, can go on those hot and cold streaks. Over the past three seasons, he's batted .263, .271, and .251. Each year he has played an entire season, he's struck out over 120 times. So it is going to be frustrating at times. But he can also excited the stadium with his power. Looking at the average, he can hit 25 home runs in a season. Nick Castellanos continues to slowly come into his own. Some fans are frustrated with the progress. It's coming along people, give it time. I think if he can bat between .265-.280 with 15 to 20 home runs, 75-80 RBI, how is that a bad thing? He may be cemented into the eight spot until he get hot and the other guys get cold, but that is fine. He is still getting his footing at the top level, for him to struggle at times it is almost a necessity. How else is he going to learn?
Anthony Goes and Cameron Maybin will be in a time share in the outfield and at the bottom of the order. If they can get on base, they both have speed to be disruptive. Other than that, there's nothing to see here folks, move along.
Just because you have a lineup one day doesn't mean it needs to stay the same the next day, the day after that, or after that. Hopefully as he gets another year under his belt, Brad Ausmus will start to manage the game as it comes to him. Not just put one guy in one spot because he always bats there. If someone is going through a slump, even if he's a star or veteran, why not shake things up a bit?
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