AL Lineup Analysis

Angels

  • Justin Upton is back and has slotted in the cleanup spot. Normally, the cleanup spot has been reserved for Albert Pujols so some kinks need to still be worked out.
  • Tommy La Stella’s spirit has returned to reclaim his body from Babe Ruth and has hit .200/.238/.425 over the past two weeks.
  • Luis Rengifo (.649) will likely head to the minors once Andrelton Simmons returns from the IL. He’ll probably not be missed.
  • I didn’t expect Shohei Ohtani to steal much to protect his elbow but he does have three steals in his last eight games.

Astros

  • The lineup is in flux with Jose Altuve returning from the IL and the last three games being in an NL park with the pitcher batting.
  • Altuve hit third in the lineup in his first game back.
  • Tyler White has heated up ( .310/.474/.586) over the last two weeks. When Carlos Correa returns, it’ll be interesting to see if White (.695 OPS) or Yuli Gurriel (.593 OPS) will take over the first base duties.

Athletics

Blue Jays

  • What a nightmare trying to figure who’s playing. Simply, there is one extra regular, so someone starts each game on the bench.
  • Cavan Biggio (.212/.358/.470) is the player getting moved around with starts at first, second, the two outfield corner spots, and DH.

Indians

Mariners

  • Since the trade of Edwin Encarnacion to the Yankees, the lineup has stabilized with J.P. Crawford (.347 OBP) batting second, Kyle Seager batting sixth, Dee Gordon seventh or eighth.
  • Dee Gordon is only hitting .219/.235/.375 with one stolen base since returning from the IL.

Orioles

Rangers

Rays

  • The lineup remains a mess with Tommy Pham hitting second as the only consistent piece.
  • Travis d’Arnaud has led off the last two games against a lefty starter. I’m not sure why since he just has a .583 OPS against them this season.
  • Willy Adames has hit fifth the last two games but has only hit .190/.261/.214 over the last two weeks.
  • Since coming off the IL, Joey Wendle is hitting just .059/.111/.059 while starting five of the last six games.

Red Sox

Royals

  • Cheslor Cuthbert has been playing every day but has cooled off this past week hitting just .240/.240/.280. He might lose his roster spot once Hunter Dozier returns from the IL.
  • By moving Whit Merrifield to first base, they allowed Jorge Bonifacio to play right field and hit .350/.381/.500 in 21 PA.

Tigers

  • JaCoby Jones went of a hot streak to begin the month and is now sometimes batting leadoff. He has really cooled off hitting .053/.053/.105 this past week.

Twins

  • The lineup is generally set. The order does changes more than most because the catchers bat near the top of the lineup. When one sits, the other one gets inserted into his spot.

White Sox

  • Ryan Cordell has started seven straight games in right field. Over that time frame, he has hit .158/.158/.158.

Yankees





Jeff, one of the authors of the fantasy baseball guide,The Process, writes for RotoGraphs, The Hardball Times, Rotowire, Baseball America, and BaseballHQ. He has been nominated for two SABR Analytics Research Award for Contemporary Analysis and won it in 2013 in tandem with Bill Petti. He has won four FSWA Awards including on for his Mining the News series. He's won Tout Wars three times, LABR twice, and got his first NFBC Main Event win in 2021. Follow him on Twitter @jeffwzimmerman.

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bhacking
4 years ago

“Blue Jays: …there is one extra regular, so someone starts each game on the bench….”

Or there aren’t enough guys who really should be regulars. Brandon Drury is a ‘regular’, his stats this year measure more of an extra small. 248/358/606

HappyFunBallmember
4 years ago
Reply to  bhacking

Also interesting, last week’s MIN write-up was “A set group of regulars with Marwin Gonzalez cycling through the various positions giving everyone else a breather.”

Isn’t that pretty much the same thing as “What a nightmare … one extra regular”?

bhacking
4 years ago
Reply to  HappyFunBall

MIN 48 – 26 with 426 runs scored, TOR 27-48 with 299 runs scored so no, only 1 is a nightmare.