Cubs Live
By: Ryan Melson (@RyanMelson1)
Spring training games have not started yet, but it is never too early to look at what the starting lineup could look like in Miami on March 29th. Joe Maddon’s Likely Opening Day Lineup 1. Ben Zobrist, RF 2. Kris Bryant, 3B 3. Anthony Rizzo, 1B 4. Willson Contreras, C 5. Kyle Schwarber, LF 6. Addison Russell, SS 7. Jason Heyward, CF 8. Javier Baez, 2B 9. Jon Lester, P I truly do not believe this is the best lineup the Cubs can feature, but I believe Maddon will give the nod to Zobrist and Lester because of their experience. While we could see a bounce back from Zobrist this coming season, playing either Almora Jr. or Happ seems to be the better option right now. The Best Hitting Lineup For Opening Day 1. Ian Happ, RF 2. Kris Bryant, 3B 3. Anthony Rizzo, 1B 4. Willson Contreras, C 5. Kyle Schwarber, LF 6. Addison Russell, SS 7. Albert Almora Jr., CF 8. Javier Baez, 2B 9. Jon Lester, P This would be the Cubs best offensive lineup. Almora and Happ offer so much potential and a leap forward from both players this year could make them both feared hitters. Since we have not seen any spring training games, Heyward and Zobrist would be left out of this lineup because we have not seen their offseason adjustments. While these are two expensive bench options, most teams would love to have either of these players coming off of their bench. The Best Defensive Lineup For Opening Day 1. Ian Happ, LF 2. Kris Bryant, 3B 3. Anthony Rizzo, 1B 4. Willson Contreras, C 5. Albert Almora Jr., CF 6. Addison Russell, SS 7. Jason Heyward, RF 8. Javier Baez, 2B 9. Jon Lester, P Ian Happ gets the nod over Ben Zobrist as the better defensive left fielder, mainly because Happ can cover more ground. Heyward, Almora Jr., Baez, Russell, Rizzo, and Bryant are always no brainers for the best defensive combinations. The Best Overall Lineup For Opening Day 1. Ian Happ, CF 2. Kris Bryant, 3B 3. Anthony Rizzo, 1B 4. Willson Contrereas, C 5. Kyle Schwarber, LF 6. Addison Russell, 2B 7. Jason Heyward, RF 8. Javier Baez, SS 9. Jon Lester, P Ian Happ would get the nod over Almora Jr., for the time being, because Happ is a natural fit as the leadoff hitter. If Almora Jr. can show more patience at the plate, then he could become a viable option as the leadoff hitter. Another controversial move would be to have Javier Baez become the everyday shortstop and move Addison Russell over to second base. This is not a knock on Addison Russell’s ability to play shortstop. Russell is an elite defensive shortstop. However, he has suffered arm injuries at shortstop which has led to many erratic throws. The Cubs gave Russell a training program this offseason that focused on strengthening the muscles in the shoulder. Joe Maddon also wants to limit the amount of throws on a daily basis that Russell is taking. Moving to second base would give Addison shorter throws and more efficiency for the time being. Keeping Russell healthy is crucial to the Cubs success. What would your lineup be? Tweet your opening day lineup to (@Cubs_Live) or (@RyanMelson1).
4 Comments
Meko
2/18/2018 11:39:44 am
Almora CF
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charles
2/24/2018 12:10:27 am
I like your lineup Meko...Wtg
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CHARLES
2/24/2018 12:56:11 am
Almora is going to be a star in this league..It's extremely puzzling to me that a player with so much talent such as Almora has demonstrated can't be trusted by Maddon to be our lead off hitter.
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CHARLES (again)
2/24/2018 02:27:30 am
I share those same concerns about Russell.However,another marginal start by Russell could be just what pushes Theo to make a trade...Alot of Cap space is still available and even though Russell is still a controllable player,he has yet to reach the high expectations from all the past scouting reports..Winning another championship is our goal this season.Depending on how successful this season turns out,I believe that some of these players like Russell and Kyle could be moved for upgrades if it's feasible.
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Kyle MalzhanFounder who is an aspiring journalist who covers the Chicago Cubs daily. Archives
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