American League Lineup Analysis

It’s now time to go over the American League lineups. I feel some are just not set but it’s interesting seeing some of the early season adjustments.

Angels

Astros

Athletics

Blue Jays

Indians

  • They have a set lineup but it doesn’t matter since no one is hitting besides Carlos Santana (.450/.522/.500).
  • Hanley Ramirez may move up from the 5th spot since he is also sort of kind of hitting.

Mariners

Orioles

  • Cedric Mullins II sits against lefties. He’s pretty much unplayable in any league shallower than 20 teams. Joey Rickard and Renato Nunez cycle in-and-out of the lineup also.
  • Dwight Smith Jr. (.310/.333/.379) has batted 2nd in every game.
  • Trey Mancini is playing every day and batting 3rd or 4th. He might end up as a sneaky option by season’s end based on playing time alone.

Rangers

  • After playing in only one of the first two games, Shin-Soo Choo led off the next four and is hitting (.238/.333/.429).
  • Delino DeShields leads off against lefties and bats 9th against righties.

Rays

  • The Rays lineup will always depend on the starters handedness.
  • Only three non-catchers were regulars before the Joey Wendle injury, Tommy Pham, Willy Adames, and Kevin Kiermaier. After the injury, it looks like Daniel Robertson is now a regular.
  • Media darling Brandon Lowe is not facing lefties. He’s not horrible against lefties (84 wRC+ for his career), but Robertson is better (111 wRC+).

Red Sox

Royals

  • The Royals have used the same lineup three times and another one twice. Ned Yost loves his consistency.
  • As expected, Billy Hamilton is batting 9th.
  • In 15-team leagues, don’t overlook Alex Gordon batting 3rd and Jorge Soler batting 4th.

Tigers

  • The team has some steady playing time contributors but only Niko Goodrum has been hitting (.318/.486/.591). The team as a whole is hitting .166/.264/.255.
  • They are likely getting JaCoby Jones back soon who could be a decent add in 15-team or deeper leagues.

Twins

  • During the first four games, they had the same lineup except swapping the catcher out.
  • Jonathan Schoop is buried at the 7th spot and Byron Buxton at 9th.
  • Everyone’s darling, Williams Astudillo has only played in two games so far this season.

White Sox

Yankees

  • With Miguel Andujar likely out of the season, D.J. Lemahieu has taken over at third base and on Wednesday, batted leadoff against a lefty starter. Otherwise, he has been batting 5th to 7th.
  • Two of Greg Bird, Mike Tauchman, and Clint Frazier are in the lineup every day. The problem is that one must sit killing each one’s value in shallower leagues.





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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Pretty Tony
4 years ago

Tortuga has played in three games, only started two. And he’s on fire! I have to imagine they find regular playing time for him if he keeps hitting like this.

wubbie075
4 years ago
Reply to  Pretty Tony

First HR today!