Best potential lineups for the 2016 Pittsburgh Pirates

Ideal 2016 Pittsburgh Pirates Lineup vs. LHP:

1. Starling Marte (LF) .311/.365/.499/.863
2. Jordy Mercer (SS) .324/.374/.490/.864
3. Andrew McCutchen (CF) .328/.415/.565/.979
4. Mike Morse (1B) .273/.335/.472/.808
5. Francisco Cervelli (C) .301/.385/.420/.805
6. Josh Harrison (2B) .285/.321/.425/.746
7. Jung Ho Kang (3B) .238/.340/.381/.721
8. Sean Rodriguez (RF) .246/.336/.400/.737
9. Pitcher

Left-handed pitching can pretty much change the entire look and dynamic of a lineup, but the Pirates’ lineup doesn’t radically change that much. However, you should see some regulars in different parts of the order to maximize their value when a lefty is on the mound.

Starling Marte is a very good player regardless of which hand the pitcher uses, but against left-handed pitching, he becomes even better. He hits better and gets on-base more often. Couple that with his speed and him leading off against lefties is almost a no-brainer.

I mentioned earlier that Jordy Mercer could benefit from a traditional platoon role because while he’s very subpar against righties, against left-handed pitchers the guy can flat out rake. He’s the perfect guy to bat second to set up RBI opportunities for the middle of the order.

Andrew McCutchen is a great player and against left-handed pitching, he’s even greater. He’s one one of the best players in the league against LHP, so batting him third is pretty much a given.

Mike Morse is not an ideal clean-up hitter, but he is the best candidate in my opinion. He’s consistently hit lefties well in his career, and with Marte, Mercer, and McCutchen in front of him, he should have plenty of run-producing chances. If he plays up to his career RISP numbers of .270/.346/.447/.793, that should mean very good things for the Pirates.

Francisco Cervelli doesn’t have a ton of power for a traditional number five hitter, but he is a much more complete hitter against lefties and his career 116OPS+ against LHP is proof of this. Couple this with his .289 average with RISP and you have yourself a very capable number five hitter.

The biggest criticism of Neil Walker was that he struggled mightily against LHP and many fans were calling for him to be platooned for a large chunk of the 2015 season. The great thing about Josh Harrison is that he is almost completely even with his platoon splits. He hits righties and lefties at almost the exact same rate, so I like him batting sixth for the same reasons I listed above.

Jung Ho Kang had an incredible rookie season, but one area he needed a bit of improvement in was hitting LHP. I am not overly concerned with this as I think Kang will adjust in his sophomore campaign, but until he shows he can hit LHP at a similar rate he hits RHP, I think it’s best he bats lower in the order against lefties.

This will probably cause some outcry, but I sit Polanco in favor of Sean Rodriguez against LHP. Rodriguez doesn’t exactly set the world on fire, but so far in his young career, Polanco has been dreadful when facing lefties, as he hits .183/.239/.264/.503 with a 47OPS+ against them. Rodriguez will likely hit better than that and his defense in right field is very good (7.6UZR/150), so you won’t miss Polanco that much when facing a LHP.

Final Thoughts

A lot can change from now until Opening Day and you still have Spring Training to help fill out the 25-man roster, but pending any surprises in Bradenton, I don’t think the team that breaks camp will look dramatically different than the one most are expecting.

The Pirates had a fairly balanced offensive attack in 2015, but between non-tendering Pedro Alvarez and trading Neil Walker, the team has lost some home run power and will have to find different ways to score runs in 2016. The most obvious way to do that is to try to get the platoon advantage as often as possible. It seems obvious, but sometimes the obvious solution is the best one. I think these lineup options give the Pirates a fairly good chance at maximizing their run-scoring capabilities and allows for some creativity for Clint Hurdle in late-inning situations.

These lineups are my opinion and I would love to hear yours, so don’t be afraid to comment your potential lineups for the 2016 Pittsburgh Pirates. Or just tell us if you like or dislike my lineups!

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