Projected Cubs Line-ups

[CSF77]

Knowing that the no. 1 spot is assured to leadoff once a game.
With the hitters the Cubs have now, I'd actually consider hitting the pitcher 7th..

1. Schwarber
2. Bryant
3. Rizzo
4. Zobrist
5. Contreras
6. Russell
7. Pitcher
8. Jay/Almora
9. Heyward

Baez can go in 9 hole when he starts over Zobrist..
Put Heyward 5th and Contreras 4th...

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I'll argue against Heyward for 2 reasons.

1. Maddon likes to split up the righties at the bottom. So no.

2. Hitting #9 means the least AB's. So they are not going to :

A: put their highest paid player getting the least action.

B: Heyward has no history showing that he will slump a 2nd year. If anything this year was a blip off a solid career. Again no.

I get Jay/Almora because they are the weak links.

 

[chibears55]

I'll argue against Heyward for 2 reasons..

1. Maddon likes to split up the righties at the bottom. So no.

If pitcher hitting 7th, no reason to split them up at bottom, there only 2 everyday hitters.
Plus new year, different ideas especially when you don't have a normal lineup scenario.

2. Hitting #9 means the least AB's. So they are not going to :

He guaranteed 3 ABs, they hit he'll get a 4th..
Plus. How much higher in lineup you think hell6go that would make that much of difference 6th? 7th?
Not really

A: put their highest paid player getting the least action.

Not really..he'll be like a no.2 hitter hitting ahead of Schwarber, Bryant, and Rizzo..
So, his OBP would get him plenty of action scoring runs.

B: Heyward has no history showing that he will slump a 2nd year. If anything this year was a blip off a solid career. Again no.

I have no doubt he will improve which is why I'd hit him ahead of Schwarber Bryant and Rizzo..
Hitting 6th or 7th getting on base ahead of Jay/Almora and Pitcher is useless.





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[Omeletpants]

Knowing that the no. 1 spot is assured to leadoff once a game.
With the hitters the Cubs have now, I'd actually consider hitting the pitcher 7th..

1. Schwarber
2. Bryant
3. Rizzo
4. Zobrist
5. Contreras
6. Russell
7. Pitcher
8. Jay/Almora
9. Heyward

Baez can go in 9 hole when he starts over Zobrist..
Put Heyward 5th and Contreras 4th...

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Heyward 5th? Lolololo.. Just means more 4-3 each game

 

[CSF77]

1. Maddon likes to split up the righties at the bottom. So no.

If pitcher hitting 7th, no reason to split them up at bottom, there only 2 everyday hitters.
Plus new year, different ideas especially when you don't have a normal lineup scenario.

2. Hitting #9 means the least AB's. So they are not going to :

He guaranteed 3 ABs, they hit he'll get a 4th..
Plus. How much higher in lineup you think hell6go that would make that much of difference 6th? 7th?
Not really

A: put their highest paid player getting the least action.

Not really..he'll be like a no.2 hitter hitting ahead of Schwarber, Bryant, and Rizzo..
So, his OBP would get him plenty of action scoring runs.

B: Heyward has no history showing that he will slump a 2nd year. If anything this year was a blip off a solid career. Again no.

I have no doubt he will improve which is why I'd hit him ahead of Schwarber Bryant and Rizzo..
Hitting 6th or 7th getting on base ahead of Jay/Almora and Pitcher is useless.





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If I just posted a every day line up it would be:

1. Zo RF
2. Schwarber LF
3. Bryant 3B
4. Rizzo 1B
5. Russell SS
6. Hayward CF
7. Contreras C
8. Baez 2B
9. Pitcher

I feel that the D is passable here. It will be a downgrade from Jay in CF and Heyward in RF. The upgrade from Zo to Baez doesn't make us for the loss of range in the OF.

But the O should increase with Baez over Jay.

Now they could use this as a LH starter line up with the alt line up of Schwarber leading off and Jay hitting 9th vs the Right handed starters.


So I personally feel there will be many factors involved with how Joe sets up the line up on a given day. R vs L is a factor. Playing in a large OF with a gap hitting team will force a more athletic squad in the OF. And so on. At Wrig you expect the wind factor to play up. Wind in you want plus D as the runs are hard to come by. Out it becomes a power game. Etc.

 

[DanTown]

It's funny because it's clear to me that the Cubs and Maddon don't believe in an "everyday" lineup in the regular sense. He's also moving guys up/down or in/out enough that it never really settles in.

I think for just game 1, we'll see

Zobrist - 2B
Schwarber - LF
Bryant - 3B
Rizzo - 1B
Russell - SS
Heyward - RF
Contreras - C
Jay - CF
Lester - P

After that, you'll see Baez in or Almora in and maybe Almora in the 9 and Schwarber leading off and Zobrist batting 4th.

For reference, the Cubs used 130 lineups last year (just batting orders mind you) and the most popular one was used a whopping total of six times.