A line-up that doesn't suck

To most Royals fans that have paid attention to Trey Hillman's pre-season and in-Spring Training lineups, it should jump out that some serious lunacy is afoot. 

Hillman's Office lineup pre-Spring Training (all I could say when I read it the first time a few weeks ago was WOW)

LF Podsednik

C Kendall

RF DeJesus

1b Butler

CF Ankiel

DH Guillen

3b Gordon

2b Getz

SS Betancourt

First, some obvious comments on Trey's lineup. 

Podsednik was formerly a stolen base machine (granted his pct. isn't that high), and has traditionally been a decent contact guy with average to slightly below average OBP numbers.  He cannot slug the ball, although he is gaining some pop later in his career (2005 post-season and all of last season).  That said, lots of singles and lots of caught stealings coming (If he ran a lot before, surely Trey Hillman won't let him idle at first base...even with Butler coming up) in the first inning if he is leading off.  Leading him off is only a modest travesty in the scheme of this lineup.

Kendall hitting second might be the worst positioning of anyone in this order.  True, he does not strike out much.  Also true is the fact that he has zero power, meaning Podsednik will rarely score after two batters.  Kendall is also slower than he used to be.  His average is plummeting, and his once stellar career OBP is falling as well.  This is a 9 hitter or a bench player for most any other MLB team, and Trey wants him hitting second?  Bitch Please.

DeJesus is one of the few solid hitters on the team, but he's been a leadoff hitter when he's been successful.  While he lacks legitimate lead-off speed, the notion that speed makes a lead-off guy was abandoned over the course of the last decade by any team really focusing on the lessons of Moneyball and the OBP revolution.  DeJesus out of the leadoff spot is not as productive.  In addition, his power numbers do not warrant inclusion as a 3 hitter, especially in light of Billy Butler's emergence.

via www.tiricosuave.com

Billy Butler emerged as an outstanding hitter last year and only projects to get better.  However, he is not a prototypical power hitter or cleanup hitter, even though he will surely succeed wherever he hits in the lineup.  The problem I have with this is that he succeeded as a force as our 3rd hitter most of last season.  Why move him?  Moreover, why hit your best hitter lower than you have to?  Hit the guy third and take advantage of his superb on-base and slugging more often.

via www.popham.org.uk

Rick "the Stick" Ankiel has one offensive tool: power.  Hitting him fifth is not as much of a travesty as is hitting jose Guillen fourth or fifth, but there are lots of questions about Ankiel.  Will his hitting return to pre-wall injury levels?  With an acceptable average, outstanding power vs. right handed pitching, and lots of strikeouts?  If that's the case, he is OK as a 5 hitter.

Jose Guillen sucks.  There is nothing more to say about him.  Whatever power he had is gone.  He still doesn't hit for average and does not get on base.  He hasn't had a position in two years.  Why is he in the lineup at all?

via www.wiltshirepct.nhs.uk

Alex Gordon needs a big rebound year in 2010 after he needed a breakout year in 2009.  Injuries killed him last year, and they've killed his spring training this year.  He has all the power anyone could want, AND he gets on base, which is more than can be said for most of our other hitters.  He should not be hitting lower in the lineup than on-base voids like Ankiel and Guillen.

Chris Getz is an intriguing prospect who should develop more as a hitter.  However, whatever development that is probably would not match anything near what Alberto Callaspo pulled off in 2009.  His defense is better, but Getz should not start; though if he does start, 8th in the order would be about appropriate.

Yuniesky Betancourt will, and I know most of you disagree, hit better this year than he did in 2009.  He is a guy that rarely strikes out, rarely walks, and rarely hits it hard.  He is a typical 9 hitter that can be trusted to make contact.  That said, he is not a better hitter than some other candidates for his position (cough... Aviles... cough).

My lineup vs. RHP

RF DeJesus

2b Callaspo

1b Butler

3b Gordon

DH Guillen

CF Ankiel

SS Aviles

C Pena

LF Podsednik

Comments: Callaspo has more pop hitting from the left side, but he is not a waste from either side of the plate.  This lineup puts DeJesus and Butler in their natural spots.  It also puts Gordon, the player with the most power potential, in the clean-up spot.  Gordon also gets on base at a good clip, which is necessary in front of hack-power guys like Guillen and Ankiel.  Aviles (healthy 2008 version) is a very good 7 hitter and another contact guy.  We hope he is healthy, and, if he is, we all know he's better than Betancourt.  I have Pena starting because he seemed to have more power when hitting from the left side.  He is a good contact hitter and at times showed good patience.  His defense is a liability, but we need offense badly.  I have Podsednik hitting 9th as a second leadoff guy, a speed guy that can turn the order over into a rally (For example: due up this inning... 9th podsednik 1st dejesus 2nd callaspo, and if anyone gets on 3rd butler....that sounds like a run producing inning ready to go).

via profantasybaseball.com

My lineup vs. LHP

LF DeJesus

3b Callaspo

1b Butler

CF Ankiel

RF Fields

DH Guillen

2b Aviles

SS Betancourt

C Kendall

Comments:  The top three are no surprises, but the position switch for Callaspo allows Gordon to sit out against lefties.  Ankiel in the four spot is raw power, but he will strike out a ton against lefties.  Fields and Guillen each hit lefties very well, while I suspect Fields would do better than Guillen.  Aviles also hits lefties slightly better than righties, and his positional switch allows us to stack righties against lefty pitching.  Betancourt sucks, but would fare better against lefties than the alternatives (except maybe Bloomquist).  Kendall needs some work, and this would be where he gets it.

via pictopia.com

Other observations, with only 13 position players likely on the roster, our bench spots will be thin.  Who will be there, surely Betancourt, Getz, Bloomquist, Kendall, Maier, Anderson, Fields, Ki'iahue (please)?

Let me know what you guys think, but I think it is obvious that these lineups actually might not suck as much as Trey's.