Red Sox Opening Day 2017: What lineup should be used?
The Boston Red Sox lineup is one of the most versatile in the majors, but which lineup will be the best come Opening Day?
Last season, Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell used a ton of different lineups, trying out many different guys in different spots to see which one was the best fit.
David Ortiz was the rock in the center of the lineup last year and without him the Red Sox need to find a new answer. Farrell’s options include Mookie Betts, Hanley Ramirez, Xander Bogaerts and even Andrew Benintendi.
This slideshow aims to take a look at a few different directions that Farrell can go in to organize his lineup. While this lineup has lots of flexibility, I feel that there is one that is the most balanced and has the capability to produce the most runs for the Red Sox in 2017.
The ‘Bogaerts 2nd’ Lineup
1. Dustin Pedroia (R)
2. Xander Bogaerts (R)
3. Mookie Betts (R)
4. Hanley Ramirez (R)
5. Mitch Moreland (L)
6. Andrew Benintendi (L)
7. Jackie Bradley Jr. (L)
8. Pablo Sandoval (S)
9. Sandy Leon (S)
John Farrell has made it know that Pedroia will bat leadoff but Bogaerts in the 2 hole seems rather generic. This lineup gets Bogaerts more at-bats and sets up Mookie and Hanley to drive him in. Xander has stated that he plans on stealing more bases in 2017, and putting him 2nd in the order will allow that.
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The downside to this lineup is that it doesn’t really balance out the lefties and righties. With a right-handed pitcher on the mound, it would be four consecutive right-handed hitters followed by five consecutive left-handed hitters (two of whom are actually switch-hitters who will presumably hit from the left side against right-handers). It allows the starting pitcher to get in a comfortable groove due to the fact that the lineup has a basic pattern.
Whether or not you feel that maybe JBJ should hit 9th or Sandoval should hit 6th or whatever it may be, it doesn’t give the lineup any rigthy/lefty balance throughout. Also, the bottom half is full of question marks. Benintendi is still so young, JBJ was inconsistent, Sandoval is the biggest question mark in baseball, and it seemed that pitchers figured out Sandy Leon toward the end of the season.
The ‘Benintendi 2nd, Bogaerts 6th’ Lineup
- Pedroia (R)
- Benintendi (L)
- Betts (R)
- Ramirez (R)
- Moreland (L)
- Bogaerts (R)
- Bradley Jr. (L)
- Sandoval (S)
- Leon (S)
This lineup slides Xander Bogaerts down a little bit and it seems odd to place a star like Bogaerts in the 6 spot. However, this lineup balances out the right-handed and left-handed hitters perfectly. If Pedroia and Benintendi can consistently get on base at the top of the order, a ton of runs will be produced.
This lineup puts a lot of pressure on Benintendi to hit. At only 22 years old, it’s a lot of pressure to put on a rookie, especially now since some pitchers have gotten a look at him and there is somewhat of a scouting report on him. Although everyone loves Benintendi, its tough to throw him right into a crucial spot in the order sandwiched between Pedroia and Betts.
The ‘Betts 4th’ Lineup
- Pedroia (R)
- Bogaerts (R)
- Benintendi (L)
- Betts (R)
- Ramirez (R)
- Moreland (L)
- Bradley (L)
- Sandoval (S)
- Leon (S)
Losing David Ortiz leaves the Red Sox without one of, if not the best, run producers in baseball last season. Therefore, the Red Sox need a guy in the middle of the order that can produce runs at a similar clip as Big Papi, and Mookie Betts can absolutely be that guy.
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Once again, this lineup puts the pressure on Benintendi to hit, and even more so considering he would be batting third. Swapping Bogaerts and Benintendi is another option in this lineup. Bogaerts has plenty of experience batting third, considering he did it for a good portion of last season.
What this lineup lacks, is Mookie Betts. What I mean by this is getting him the necessary amount of at-bats. Considering he is the best hitter on the team, getting him up to hit in the 1st inning is important, and getting him as many at-bats as possible is even more important.
While I don’t feel that batting him lead-off would solve this due to how effective he is producing runs, batting him third instead of fourth might make a little bit more sense.
So, Which Lineup is Best?
I don’t necessarily think there is a wrong answer here. All of these lineups are great. However, there is a right lineup and a lineup that is the one that’s balanced the best.
I feel that the lineup which features Andrew Benintendi second and Xander Bogaerts sixth is the most balanced. Having a guy like Bogaerts down in the bottom half of the order doesn’t allow the pitcher to catch a break. He can serve as somewhat of a table setter for the bottom half, and set up guys like Bradley and Sandoval to drive him in.
Additionally, the righty-lefty split is very even and gives the pitcher a new look almost every time a new hitter steps to the plate.
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Let me know what you think the best lineup for the Red Sox would be. If I left one out, comment below and let me know why. Unfortunately, we don’t have John Farrell’s role of arranging this juggernaut offense, but we are all entitled to our own opinions.