National League: Early Lineup Tea Leaves

We’re only a week in, so our time is probably better spent on things other than hemming and hawing about hitters having good and bad starts. One week of games probably shouldn’t be changing our opinions of anyone but it can be useful to get an early handle on how and where players are being utilized. Things are going to change (and drastically!) but I like to take a long look at early-season lineups in order to get a rough handle on what managers are considering as their best bets for everyday lineups.

With that in mind let’s take a spin around baseball and see what can be gleaned from early lineups and possible platoons situations, starting with the National League.

Arizona Diamondbacks

• Josh Rojas has started every game vs RHP and sat every one vs LHP, sharing third base with Evan Longoria. Until the latter inevitably hits the IL, I suspect this will continue. Rojas has also led off in every start, so he does retain value, depending on your league type. But without the mostly full-time PAs that he enjoyed last season, that value will remain limited.
• Kyle Lewis is only starting vs LHP but batted 1st/2nd in all three starts. He’s 2-for-15 with 1 HR and 8 K.
• Those rostering Corbin Carroll and Jake McCarthy would prefer them up top but they’ve started in the five-and-below zone. If they start getting hot, so will the lineup seats of Rojas, Lewis (and Ketel Marte).
• The Diamondbacks would much prefer a defensive outfield of Alek Thomas, Carroll, and McCarthy but right now Lourdes Gurriel is in left field vs LHP, at the expense of Thomas (who has gotten one start vs LHP), and at DH vs RHP.
• Arizona isn’t being shy with Gabriel Moreno, starting him in five-of-seven games. He won’t come with much power but Moreno (30% on Yahoo, 14% on ESPN) and his 70-grade hit stick could be in for a pile of PAs.
• In Week Three, the Diamondbacks are scheduled to face three LHP (Wade Miley, Trevor Rogers, Braxton Garrett)

Atlanta Braves

• Nothing very exciting here. The top two-thirds of the lineup is steady, as is the nine-hole being held down by (just like we all thought) Orlando Arcia. Arcia, again just as we thought, has started off on fire, slashing .370/.414/.667, with 2 HR.
• Eddie Rosario has only started vs RHP and Marcell Ozuna has sat against the last two LHP, replaced by Kevin Pillar.
• In Week Three, the Braves are scheduled to face one LHP (Kris Bubic)

Chicago Cubs

• Again, very steady from 1-to-7 (Hoerner, Swanson, Happ, Bellinger, Mancini, Wisdom, Hosmer).
• The Patrick Wisdom (Yahoo: 25%, ESPN: 4%) mini-ssaince is nice, starting five-of-six games and going 6-for-16, with 2 HR and only a 16.7% K% (career: 37% K%). I’m not sure if he’ll ultimately realize the plate-discipline fever dreams some continue to carry for Joey Gallo but but just a modicum of increased contact will keep him valuable as a (mostly) everyday PAs middle-order guy with pop.
• In Week Three, the Cubs are scheduled to face one LHP (Julio Urías)

Cincinnati Reds

• Everyday player, TJ Friedl (Yahoo: 10%, ESPN: 2%), is a thing so far, starting every game, including two vs LHP (2-for-5, single, triple, 2 K)
• Everyday player, Will Benson (Yahoo: 1%, ESPN: 1%), is not a thing, sitting vs LHP and struggling vs RHP, going hitless with a 75% K%
• We won’t mention anything about anyone in the top third of the order who may or may not be healthy. Just be cool.
• In Week Three, the Reds are scheduled to face one LHP (Matt Strahm)

Colorado Rockies

• Since finally joining the team on Sunday, Jurickson Profar (Yahoo: 19%, ESPN: 18%) has started all four games in left field, leading off in each. Like most of Colorado, he’ll be useful at home.
• Elias Díaz has started in six-of-seven games, with Brian Severn getting just one scrap. In response, he has done what he does – post a 40 wRC+ and .257 wOBA
• In Week Three, the Rockies are scheduled to face two LHP (Steven Matz, Marco Gonzales)

Los Angeles Dodgers

• Mookie Betts moves ever closer to 2B eligibility, starting 3-of-7 games at the keystone so far, including the last two after Miguel Vargas sat with a sore thumb.
• James Outman (Yahoo: 50%, ESPN: 16%) has played every game but one, sitting in the only matchup against a leftie. Given his power/speed skillset and playing time situation, Outman’s Roster% is far too low.
• Chris Taylor (Yahoo: 30%, ESPN: 6%) has started tragically (-11 wRC+, .154 wOBA) but is starting every day because his competition is banged up/is Miguel Rojas. But that Roster% still seems way too high.
• In Week Three, the Dodgers are scheduled to face three LHP (Alex Wood, Justin Steele, Drew Smyly)

Miami Marlins

• With Joey Wendle (intercostal strain) hitting the IL, Jon Berti is starting every day at shortstop. But in a new world where everyone is running, he has yet to even attempt a steal. Because of course he hasn’t.
• Jazz Chisholm (who survived that recent car wreck at second base) has hit cleanup in every game but one.
• They’ve only faced one LHP but the second half of their lineup has mostly been a mishmash of fantasy uselessness. Bryan De La Cruz and Jesús Sánchez have each started four of eight games, and neither has done anything yet to show they deserve more.
• In Week Three, the Marlins are scheduled to face one LHP (Matt Strahm)

Milwaukee Brewers

• Garrett Mitchell (Yahoo: 50%, ESPN: 8%) has yet to start against an LHP but hit a home run in the only chance he did get (off of Brooks Raley 레일리).
• Joey Weimer (Yahoo: 9%, ESPN: 3%) is batting ninth but has started every game since getting called up. Red-hot start but we’ll have to see if the contact holds up.
• Brice Turang (Yahoo: 27%, ESPN: 13% is sitting vs LHP, being replaced by Owen Miller
• Brian Anderson (Yahoo: 58%, ESPN: 24%) has gone bananas, starting the season with a six-game hit streak and hitting three home runs. With Luis Urías out for two months with a hamstring strain and the ability to play in the outfield, expect Anderson to continue getting full-time run
• In Week Three, the Brewers are scheduled to face zero LHP

New York Mets

• Francisco Álvarez gets the call with Omar Narváez hitting the IL (calf strain). Regardless of talent, it’s always hard to trust a young catcher’s ability to hit while also handling a major league staff but it’ll have to be a trial by fire for now.
• Eduardo Escobar has started the year off going 2-for-20 with a 33% K% and has now given way to Luis Guillorme in two of the last four games. Bret Baty (Yahoo: 22%), on the other hand, has hit the ground mashing at Triple-A, going 6-for-15, with 2 HR and 2 SB. Tick-tock.
• Tommy Pham has been on the short side of things, only starting New York’s three games vs LHP, and all is right with the world, as Daniel Vogelbach remains a never-start vs LHP
• In Week Three, the Mets are scheduled to face three LHP (Ryan Weathers, Blake Snell, JP Sears)

Philadelphia Phillies

• First base remains cursed, as Darick Hall will have surgery for a torn UCL in his thumb. His return timeline is currently unclear and Kody Clemens was called up to replace him.
• How can you tell the bottom of the Philadelphia lineup is struggling? Jake Cave is playing a prominent role, starting five games vs RHP, sitting the two vs LHP
• In Week Three, the Phillies are scheduled to face two LHP (Jesús Luzardo, Nick Lodolo)

Pittsburgh Pirates

• The top of the lineup has gone as expected, though, they’ve only faced one LHP, so far. Ke’Bryan Hayes did bat leadoff in that matchup, with Oneil Cruz sliding to 6th.
• Ji Hwan Bae (Yahoo: 19%, ESPN: 2%) has started 6-of-7 games, batting eighth in each, while going 4-for-18, with 1 HR and 2 SB. And with four games at second base (two in CF), new eligibility is on the horizon.
• In Week Three, The Pirates are scheduled to face three LHP (Framber Valdez, Jordan Montgomery, Steven Matz)

San Diego Padres

• Trent Grisham has started all eight games, batting leadoff against RHP and 8th vs LHP. But that cushy spot will likely evaporate once Fernando Tatis Jr. is eligible to return on April 20.
• Right field is currently being split by David Dahl, José Azocar, and Rougned Odor.
• The ghost of Nelson Cruz is still getting to DH vs LHP, with the strong side belonging to Matt Carpenter
• In Week Three, the Padres are scheduled to face three LHP (David Peterson, Eric Lauer, Wade Miley)

San Francisco Giants

• The Giants have yet to face a LHP, so we don’t know yet what the full state of their platoon shenanigans will be. But that mystery ends next week.
• LaMonte Wade Jr. has started every game but one at first base, leading off in each, with Michael Conforto also starting every game and batting second. Wilmer Flores has started just twice.
• In Week Three, the Giants are scheduled to face four LHP (Julio Urías, Clayton Kershaw, Joey Wentz, Matthew Boyd)

St. Louis Cardinals

• Brendan Donovan (and his career .390 OBP) has started 5-of-6 games, leading off in each. Tommy Edman has started every game but has batted 8th/9th in everyone except the one where Donovan was off. I would expect this to continue.
• Nolan Gorman has started 5-of-6 games at DH but sat in their only matchup against a leftie, with Juan Yepez picking up the start. I would also expect this to continue.
• Alec Burleson has started in 4-of-6 games, only taking a seat a seat on Opening Day and again against leftie Dylan Dodd.
• Already offered in an offseason trade for Sean Murphy, Dylan Carlson is clearly down in the pecking order, starting just 3-0f-6 games. With Jordan Walker and Tyler O’Neill locked in and Laars Nootbaar expected back soon, Carlson will likely continue to be the odd man out.
• In Week 3, the Cardinals are scheduled to face one LHP (Kyle Freeland)

Washington Nationals

• Washington has started off by facing a slew of LHP, getting one in five of their first eight games. Alex Call started in each, batting second in two, and picked up his first start of the year vs an RHP on Friday (José Ureña), leading off.
• Victor Robles has started every game in center field, hitting near the bottom of the order against both hands.
• In Week 3, the Nationals are scheduled to face two LHP (José Suarez, Tucker Davidson)