2017 Lineup

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I can't see Rendon batting cleanup and Harper batting 5th unless Rendon is red hot and Bryce tanks even more.  Murph and Harper are very likely batting 3/4 in whichever order.

the 3-4-5 is good in almost any order.  I could see Murphy falling back a bit or a cold start from any of them resulting in one of them being dropped to 5, but, assuming they are all going well, then I think Harper is the cleanup hitter and you work from there.  Maybe Turner / Eaton / Rendon v. lefties and Eaton / Turner / Murphy v. righties.

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

the 3-4-5 is good in almost any order.  I could see Murphy falling back a bit or a cold start from any of them resulting in one of them being dropped to 5, but, assuming they are all going well, then I think Harper is the cleanup hitter and you work from there.  Maybe Turner / Eaton / Rendon v. lefties and Eaton / Turner / Murphy v. righties.

I agree they're all great hitters so you can do different things and it work.  I like Harper in front of Murph and Rendon because he's such a high OBP guy and he has good wheels. 

[rbw5t]

I think Dusty is too old school to actually do it, but having two good leadoff type guys is the situation where you'd hit your pitcher 8th.  You use Eaton hitting 9th, Turner 1st, Rendon or Werth 2nd, then Harper/Murphy in some order 3/4.  Breaks up the lefties a little bit by putting two righties between Eaton and Murph/Harp, and still gets you Eaton and Turner setting the table back-to-back every time through after the first inning.

9 -- Eaton
1 -- Turner
2 -- Rendon (Werth)
3 -- Harper/Murphy
4 -- Murphy/Harper
5 -- Werth (Rendon)
6 -- Zimmerman
7 -- C
8 -- P

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

I think Dusty is too old school to actually do it, but having two good leadoff type guys is the situation where you'd hit your pitcher 8th.  You use Eaton hitting 9th, Turner 1st, Rendon or Werth 2nd, then Harper/Murphy in some order 3/4.  Breaks up the lefties a little bit by putting two righties between Eaton and Murph/Harp, and still gets you Eaton and Turner setting the table back-to-back every time through after the first inning.

9 -- Eaton
1 -- Turner
2 -- Rendon (Werth)
3 -- Harper/Murphy
4 -- Murphy/Harper
5 -- Werth (Rendon)
6 -- Zimmerman
7 -- C
8 -- P

I don't like having one of your better hitters batting 9th and missing out on lots of ABs through the year.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I don't like having one of your better hitters batting 9th and missing out on lots of ABs through the year.

I like it more when you have a slappy, average-driven, middling OBP guy who is a runner.  Ben Revere would be someone I might do this with.  Eaton, who is a .357 career OBP guy with an 8+% BB rate the past 3 years, you want up often.

[blue911]

I like it more when you have a slappy, average-driven, middling OBP guy who is a runner.  Ben Revere would be someone I might do this with.  Eaton, who is a .357 career OBP guy with an 8+% BB rate the past 3 years, you want up often.

I want him to lead off because Turner walks less than Cristian Guzman.

[Truconfidence]

I want him to lead off because Turner walks less than Cristian Guzman.

I remember Trea saying he prefers 2nd or 3rd to leading off.

[Ray D]

Turner's OBP was .370.  Hard to top that.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I want him to lead off because Turner walks less than Cristian Guzman.

I remember Trea saying he prefers 2nd or 3rd to leading off.

so I guess it is still a live question about Eaton or Turner leading off.

[blue911]

Turner's OBP was .370.  Hard to top that.

Yep. But with a BB% < 5 and K%> 18, I don't see him maintaining the .388 BABIP he needed to post that number.

[Optics]

1. Turner
2. Eaton
3. Rendon
4. Harper
5. Murphy
6. Werth
7. Zimmerman
8. Norris/Severino

If you want real lefty righty balance you could swap Murph and Werth and go L-R-L 1-6 but I'd like to have Murphy protect Harper.

[rbw5t]

1. Turner
2. Eaton
3. Rendon
4. Harper
5. Murphy
6. Werth
7. Zimmerman
8. Norris/Severino

If you want real lefty righty balance you could swap Murph and Werth and go L-R-L 1-6 but I'd like to have Murphy protect Harper.

I like this lineup.  Eaton, Turner and Rendon are all guys who should score a lot of runs.  Even though 6-9 could at times be a black hole, the first half of lineup could be brutal for an opponent to get through.

[GburgNatsFan]

I think this is the way I'd go. If Turner gets on all hell breaks loose, pitchers lose their crap, and you're on the edge of your seat. Eaton seems like *exactly* the guy you want hitting behind him.

1. Turner
2. Eaton
3. Rendon
4. Harper
5. Murphy
6. Werth
7. Zimmerman
8. Norris/Severino

If you want real lefty righty balance you could swap Murph and Werth and go L-R-L 1-6 but I'd like to have Murphy protect Harper.

[Mr Clean]

1. Turner
2. Eaton
3. Rendon
4. Harper
5. Murphy
6. Werth
7. Zimmerman
8. Norris/Severino

If you want real lefty righty balance you could swap Murph and Werth and go L-R-L 1-6 but I'd like to have Murphy protect Harper.

Best hitter should always bat in the first inning.

[mmzznnxx]

I think it should be:

Turner
Eaton
Murphy
Rendon
Harper
Zimmerman
Werth
Catcher
Pitcher

This is predicated on Rendon being closer to second-half 2016 rather than first-half 2016, and Harper being more like 2016 Harper than 2015 Harper.

Murphy was too good for us last year to not be in the three-hole, especially with his contact skills and two fast guys in the two spots before him. Rendon then Harper probably isn't too popular but we need to break up the lefties if we can. Zimmerman before Werth because I like Werth at the bottom of the order and getting on for the catcher and possible bunts more than Zimmerman.

[whytev]

Cubs are losing Fowler and Soler. Might not be as good next season.

Full season of Schwarber. If Heyward comes back to life, formidable.

[rileyn]

I think it should be:

Turner
Eaton
Murphy
Rendon
Harper
Zimmerman
Werth
Catcher
Pitcher

This is predicated on Rendon being closer to second-half 2016 rather than first-half 2016, and Harper being more like 2016 Harper than 2015 Harper.

Murphy was too good for us last year to not be in the three-hole, especially with his contact skills and two fast guys in the two spots before him. Rendon then Harper probably isn't too popular but we need to break up the lefties if we can. Zimmerman before Werth because I like Werth at the bottom of the order and getting on for the catcher and possible bunts more than Zimmerman.

Agreed.  Murphy needs more at bats, not less. 

[MorseTheHorse]

Interesting.  I hadn't even considered the possibility of Eaton leading off ahead of Trea.  Personally, given Trea's speed, I want to avoid having a guy on second as much as possible if Turner is on first.  So the answer seems easy to me.  (Eaton was 14-5 on stolen bases last year)

I get the backlog of lefties we want to bat somewhere 2-5 in that case though. 

[Ray D]

Best hitter should always bat in the first inning.

Yeah unless there are two outs, none on. Then he's better off leading off the second. (Or better yet, let #3 get on and he can at least bat with a man on.) That's why best batter should bat fourth. He will bat in the first inning as long as the first three men don't  get out (and hit with men on).

[Bloo]

Eaton
Werth
Turner
Murphy
Harper
Rendon
Zimmerman
Norris

[varoadking]

Lot of overthinking the LRLRLRLRL business.

TT is most comfortable at #2 and Rendon is comfortable down at #5.  Daniel needs to get as many AB's as he can with AE and/or TT on base. 

AE
TT
DM
BH
AR
JW
RZ
C
P

[Slateman]

Best hitter should always bat in the first inning.

So the lineup should be Murphy, Harper, Rendon?

[Slateman]

Lot of overthinking the LRLRLRLRL business.

TT is most comfortable at #2 and Rendon is comfortable down at #5.  Daniel needs to get as many AB's as he can with AE and/or TT on base. 

AE
TT
DM
BH
AR
JW
RZ
C
P

Why is Turner most comfortable at #2?

[Mr Clean]

So the lineup should be Murphy, Harper, Rendon?

Hitter is singular.  Your list consists of hitters.

[varoadking]

Why is Turner most comfortable at #2?

I dunno...that's what he said...