Game 130 Thread: Royals vs White Sox

Look, I’m not gonna mince any words here: this lineup is shit. See below.

Royals lineup

Yes, I know Vinnie Pasquantino is injured. And I can buy that there’s some reason the Royals aren’t telling us about MJ Melendez, who has been out of the lineup for three consecutive games.

But Jesus Christ, repeatedly using Ryan O’Hearn as your cleanup hitter is the single dumbest thing I’ve seen a team do this year. O’Hearn is a 28-year-old first baseman with a 68 OPS+ over the last four years. He is not a big league baseball player. He just isn’t. And yet, the Royals both have continued to employ him and put him in the cleanup spot in the lineup.

And that’s not the only thing wrong with this. Where is Drew Waters? There was an off day yesterday. Why are we playing Michael A. Taylor and Hunter Dozier in the outfield? There’s no reason why Dozier should be getting so many plate appearances, and ditto Taylor. Waters could be playing. Hell, Maikel Garcia could be playing here; he’s almost certainly a better hitter than O’Hearn. So is Nate Eaton. But Garcia and Eaton are in Omaha for...reasons.

I dunno, man. It’s so stupid.

White Sox lineup