How Should the San Francisco Giants Line Up?
In 2014, the San Francisco Giants continued their trend of mixing and matching lineups. They didn’t really have much of a choice, however, as they struggled with injuries and inconsistencies from different players. Every team wants to have a consistent lineup, but there’s always the variables that nip that plan in the bud. Let’s take a look at some of the different lineup combinations the Giants could use in 2015.
The additions of Nori Aoki and Casey McGehee give the Giants some flexibility in the lineup, as Aoki could slide into the top or bottom of the lineup, while McGehee could hit from the middle. Manager Bruce Bochy has already stated the Aoki will be the everyday left fielder. If I were Bochy, here’s the lineup I would trot out on opening day:
Sep 19, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants catcher
Buster Posey(28) at bat during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
1 – CF Angel Pagan
2 – 2B Joe Panik
3 – C Buster Posey
4 – 1B Brandon Belt
5 – RF Hunter Pence
6 – 3B McGehee
7 – SS Brandon Crawford
8 – LF Aoki
Now, hear me out. I do have a reason for putting these guys where I did. Pagan should hit lead off, where he has excelled in his entire career, hitting .296 in that place. Panik remains second, instead of placing Aoki there, because he seemed most comfortable there last year, and hit .303 as the number-two hitter.
Belt hits fourth to break up the right-handed combination of Posey and Pence. Belt also has great power, and can work walks to extend innings. Aoki would hit eighth, instead of Crawford, to put a more consistent average hitter in front the pitcher. He can get on base, either by hit or walk, and allow the pitcher to bunt him along, or take his at-bat with two outs instead of leading off the next inning.
This isn’t the set in stone lineup, obviously. There’s tons of options on how to set up. For instance, Aoki has plenty of experience leading off, and has had a lot of success, with a .285 average and .353 on-base percentage, and more walks than strikeouts. He could hit lead-off while Pagan moves down to second, or if Pagan were to fall to the same fate as previous years, and hit the disabled list. If Aoki and Pagan are at the top of the lineup, then Panik could be placed seventh or eighth. He’d fit well in the eight-hole for the same reasons Aoki would. Aoki would also make a great second-hitter.
There’s also a lot of choices for the middle of the lineup. I’ve always been a fan of having the best overall hitter bat third, which is why Posey would be there. But Pence could also hit third while Posey bats cleanup. Pence could also bat cleanup, as he is the team’s most consistent power threat.
Oct 25, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants second baseman
Joe Panikreacts after hitting a double against the Kansas City Royals in the fifth inning during game four of the 2014 World Series at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Belt could hit anywhere from third to sixth in the lineup. Most of Baby Giraffe’s success has come as the sixth hitter, where he bats .301 with 18 of his career home runs. But if Belt moves to sixth, that most likely puts McGehee fifth, making three straight right-handed batters in the middle of the lineup. That’s a good look against opposing lefty starters, but not every day.
This is highly unlikely, but McGehee absolutely mashed hitting cleanup behind Giancarlo Stanton with the Miami Marlins. He batted .301 with 66 RBI’s from the four-spot. But if he hits sixth, he’ll get plenty of opportunities to drive in runs. He hit .319 in 2014 with runners in scoring position, with an outstanding .414 OBP.
The bottom of the lineup presents more combination possibilities for the Giants. Aoki, Panik and Crawford are the three players who will most likely make up the seven and eight pairing. One of the three will hit at the top of the lineup, leaving the other two at the bottom.
As stated earlier, I think it would be a good idea to put Crawford seventh, and have a more consistent hitter in front of the pitcher’s spot. Crawford’s a slightly better average hitter at eight, but he has shown more pop from seven, with two less home runs in 74 less games than hitting eighth.
Neither Panik nor Aoki have a lot of experience hitting eighth. Aoki has just five games under his belt, and is 3-10. Panik has eight games, and batted just .179 (5-28) in that spot. A lot of those at-bats came while he was early in his call-up, and still finding his footing as a big-league hitter.
There’s too many options to count when putting together a lineup. Just from these eight players, there’s literally thousands of possible combinations. Sometimes you go with a set lineup, while other times you go with the hot hand. Managers love having a consistent lineup, but Bochy has always had a knack for putting together the best lineup possible. He’ll continue to do that in 2015.