Tigers Lineup 2008

Here is just one version of the 2008 Motor City Kitties lineup that I can envision:

1) Curtis Granderson, CF
2) Placido Polanco, 2B
3) Miguel Cabrera, 3B
4) Magglio Ordonez, RF
5) Gary Sheffield, DH
6) Carlos Guillen, 1B
7) Edgar Renteria, SS
8) Pudge Rodriguez, C
9) Jacque Jones, LF

Last year, these guys hit a combined .311, with each player averaging 85 RBI and 19 HR. Combined OB% of .371 along with a SLG% of .492...These numbers are hard to ignore. Just imagine if Sheffield would have been himself last year!

Does anyone think this group could rival Murderers' Row as the best lineup of all time???

 

Not even close. It's not even the best lineup in MLB right now, and I'll tell you why.

Granderson - Yes, he hit .302 last season, but he hit .260 and .272 the years before that. He did cut down on his strikeouts somewhat, but he still has too many to be a consistent .300 hitter. He also needs to walk a lot more to be a great leadoff hitter.

Polanco - He's another guy coming off a career year. Yes, the .338 in '05 shows that he can hit at this level, but he's more likely to be .300-.310. Plus he's another guy at the top of the lineup who won't take a walk.

Cabrera - One of the top five hitters in baseball and could continue to improve.

Ordonez - He's a good hitter, but he's yet another who had a career year in '07. No way he comes anywhere close to .363 in '08, and there will always be injury concerns.

Sheffield - Still a fearsome hitter when healthy, but that's less and less frequent these days. He'll turn 40 this year and his skills are declining.

Carlos Guillen - Great hitter for a shortstop, but just a little above average now that he's moved to first.

Edgar Renteria - It seems like this whole team is coming off career years. He's a career .291 hitter and will be around there in '08.

Pudge - His .294 OBP was one of the absolute worst in baseball for a starter.

Jacque Jones - Should rebound from a powerless '07, but still no better than average at the plate.


So yeah, that's a good and very deep lineup, but it's not even close to being one of the best of all-time. Cabrera is the only impact hitter, and most of the others will produce at a lower level in 2008 than they did in 2007.

 

Without a doubt, this will be the best lineup in the Bigs this year, and maybe in recent history.

Granderson - The reason he's improved so much over the years is because he was a rookie 2 years ago! Young, hard-working players improve, especially during their first few years. His lack of BB is a problem, but his production rivals any leadoff hitter out there, and he's developed better than Sizemore, despite all of Grady's hype.

Polanco - Polanco has been the best hitter with RISP in the league since he came to Detroit. He's a wizard in terms of bat control and hitting the ball where it's pitched. Probably the most underrated player in the MLB. Enough said.

Cabrera - Agreed that he is one of the top five hitters in baseball and could continue to improve.

Ordonez - He won't hit .363 this season, but he'll still be protected and his philosophy has become more like Polanco's - he takes what pitchers give him. He drove doubles and singles all over the field last year without prejudice.

Sheffield - I agree that he's getting older and thereby less healthy, but just as Ordonez overachieved last season, Sheff underperformed. His ability to make pitchers work and his knack for getting on base and scoring is more important than his average. His OBP is always good and he's a major reason why Ordonez was able to do what he did last year.

Carlos Guillen - Great hitter for a shortstop, and a better hitter for 1B. He's no Pujols, but he hits for average and power and runs the bases well.

Edgar Renteria - A career .291 hitter in the 7 or 8 spot is a testament to how good this lineup is. He's a solid hitter and arguably the best 7-hitter in the MLB.

Pudge - By far the worst batter in the Tigers lineup. The guy can still hit and he rarely strikes out, but you're right that he doesn't walk enough. If he hits .285+ this year, I'm happy, and Leyland will be too.

Jacque Jones - Again, it's his location in the lineup that makes him special. He's the 9-hitter! He cannot be compared to league elites...he's got to be compared to other bottom-of-the-order guys, and he's one of the best in that group.


***They scored the third-most runs in the league last year, with Sheffield really dictating when they were hot and cold. When he was healthy, they were a machine. When he wasn't, they were average. However, replacing a .220-batting Brandon Inge with one of the best offensive players in the league (Cabrera), not to mention subbing in Renteria for the singles-hitting Sean Casey and Jones for the terribly inconsistent Craig Monroe will make this team very difficult if not impossible to shut down for more than a few innings. This lineup, hands down, is the best in baseball.

 

You're a Tigers homer, so it's understandable for you to say nonsensical things because you wish them to be true. That doesn't make them true, however. Again, most of the hitters in that lineup had career years that will not be repeated in 2008.

 

I'm really not being a homer. Granted, I'm a huge Tigers fan, but the points I made are valid, unbiased things. Magglio and Granderson had career years, but like I said, Granderson is young and improving, and most young players improve greatly at the beginning of their career.
Guillen did not have a career year. Sheffield had one of this worst. Pudge is aging and was beneath his averages last year (biggest point of concern). Cabrera will finally be protected and his production will reflect that in a big way.

If someone is going to go through what will be the most productive lineup in the league and say why each player is overrated/overachiever, then I can come back with an equally one-sided spin. That was the purpose. Time will tell, but I think that when September rolls around, you too will be singing your praises.

 

Blyleven Agrees

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/23279240/site/21683474/?site=21683474

He must be a homer, too.

 

As much as I hate to say it, the 1995 Indians had the best offensive lineup of all time.

 

So if it's not the best lineup in Baseball right now, what is? And please tell us why!

 

Even with so many Tigers players having career years, the Yankees had a more productive lineup last season and will again in '08. Given that I expect a number of Red Sox hitters to also be better than they were last year, I'd take Boston's lineup over Detroit's as well.