Weekly Wroundtable: Judging the Cleveland Indians’ New-Look Lineup

After a rough April, the Tribe took a long, hard look at their lineup construction. They revamped it in several ways, most notably moving Jason Kipnis to the top of the order, followed by Carlos Santana and Michael Brantley. With Brandon Moss batting cleanup, the rest of the lineup can vary – but typically, some combination of Lonnie Chisenhall, Nick Swisher, Ryan Raburn and David Murphy find themselves next, depending on whether a righty or lefty is on the mound. The bottom of the order is rounded out with Michael Bourn, the catchers and, finally, the struggling Jose Ramirez.

May 5, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Cleveland Indians second basemen Jason Kipnis (22) at bat against the Kansas City Royals during the eighth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Overall, the lineup seems to be working – run production is up for the Tribe since the switch. Kipnis especially seems to have taken off since being moved to the leadoff slot, which is good news for a team that needs him to return to his all-star form.

But there is a lot that goes in to lineup construction: Should the best overall hitters be first, or the batters with the highest OBP? How many home runs does a player need to be considered a true cleanup hitter? Where do the speedy guys who need stolen base opportunities? What about the batters who strikeout most often? How important is it to split lefties and righties up, to avoid making pitching matchups too easy later in the game?With those questions and others in mind, Wahoo’s on First analyzed Terry Francona‘s decision to move everyone around.

What do you think of the Tribe’s new-look lineup?

First, the positives…

Next: The Tribe's New Look Is a Good One

The Tribe’s New Look Is a Good One

May 12, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians first baseman Carlos Santana (41) reacts to a called strike during the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Bretz: I, for one, really like the new Indians lineup. I’m a big believer in putting your best hitters near the top of the lineup, and finally the Indians are steering towards that. It’s still not my ideal lineup, but getting Bourn out of the leadoff spot and moving an OBP guy like Santana up is a huge step in the right direction. One concern I see from many is “who will drive them in?” but really, isn’t that the concern no matter where you bat Santana/Brantley? If they bat third and fourth, who drives them in? The only difference now is the walk machine in Santana is ahead of Brantley and getting more plate appearances. Even more excited to see how the lineup will look once Gomes is back and healthy. Adding his power bat should help ease some of those concerns many have with the new-look lineup.

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Ryan Rosko: As a whole, I really like the lineup. I just hope they found an order where the lineup can start producing plenty of runs on a regular basis. I am intrigued with how they will adjust it when Gomes gets back, and how that would affect Chisenhall and Bourn. I would like to see Gomes in the fifth or sixth spot, with Chisenhall dropping to seventh and Bourn going to eighth. The opportunity to get runs early and often should be encouraged, with Kipnis/Santana/Brantley/Moss at the top of the order.

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Others liked the new lineup, but found a weak link…

Next: The Line is Working - Except for Ramirez

The Lineup is Working – Except for Ramirez

May 12, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians shortstop Jose Ramirez (11) rounds third en route to scoring during the seventh inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Andrew Schmid: While I must admit that I’m not the best at constructing lineups, I must admit this new lineup seems to be working. As many others have mentioned, Jason Kipnis has been an absolute stud in the leadoff spot, and the team has been scoring more runs ever since he moved there. Putting Carlos Santana in the second spot is also quite intuitive, as he walks like crazy. Sure, he doesn’t run very well, but a walk-machine is better in the second spot than batting clean-up. Finally, I am so glad that Michael Bourn is down in the bottom third of the lineup. Hopefully Jose Ramirez and he will find something and get better together. I can’t wait for a healthy Yan Gomes to return!

Brian Brochetti:Kipnis (2B), Santana (1B), Brantley (LF), Moss (RF), Swisher (DH), Gomes (C), Chisenhall (3B), Bourn (CF), Lindor (SS). If I had to go with one lineup for the rest of the year, it is the above lineup. It’s very nice to have essentially three leadoff hitters in this lineup, allowing for the bottom of the lineup to get some things going when it turns back over to the top. Brantley is cemented at the third spot – firm beleiver that position belongs to your best hitter. The switch hitters prevent long stretches of left-handed hitters. Finally, much like everyone else, I have grown to really like Santana in the two hole. I’d have him sincerely start working on bunting down the third base line to add a dimension f teams continue to deploy the extreme shift. If Santana could do that, on top of walking and being a deep threat, he would add even more depth to the top of the lineup.

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The rest of the staff would do a bit more tinkering before calling this lineup a total success…

Next: Slight Adjustments Could Make the Lineup Better

Slight Adjustments Could Make the Lineup Better

Apr 30, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians left fielder Michael Brantley (23) hits a RBI single during the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Cody Norman: I really like the way the lineup has shaken out. How could you not, when the Tribe is averaging almost two more runs per game in May than they did in April? A healthy Kipnis is really a perfect mix of power, speed and on-base ability at the top of the lineup. And a high-OBP guy like Santana is the perfect candidate to hit in front of the team’s most prolific hitter, Brantley. While the first three guys in the lineup are a near-lock to continue at those spots, the middle- and bottom-third still needs a little tinkering. Whether it comes via personnel adjustments or increased production from the current cast, though, remains to be seen. Once Gomes returns to the field, the lineup will really be at full strength, and manager Francona will have an opportunity to find something that works. Even after that point, this lineup is looking more and more like it will have to rely heavily on incredible production from the top. This team goes as Kipnis, Santana and Brantley go.

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Katrina Putnam: I am incredibly pro- Kipnis leading off, and pro- Moss batting cleanup. What I’m not excited about is the way Santana and Brantley are slated into the Tribe’s lineup, because I think they should be reversed. Pitchers seem to be avoiding Brantley and waiting on the middle of the order, where Moss, Chisenhall and Nick Swisher make up a strikeout-prone trio of hitters. If Santana were reversed, I think they would have difficulty doing that. Kipnis and Brantley are both solid hitters who happen to walk and hit home runs as well. Santana has a much better eye, and much more power, but he’s not as good of an all-around hitter. If they switched the two, I think it would provide more protection for Brantley and Kipnis, while still enabling him to plenty of at-bats and get on base for the middle of the order. Santana isn’t as fast as Brantley is, either, and switching them would give Brantley the opportunity to steal or take an extra base if necessary. It’s a minor tweak, but with as heavily as the Tribe relies on the top of the order, it might make a major difference.

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So is this the perfect lineup? Everyone has their own opinion, but only time can really tell.

Next: Yan Gomes could make his much-need return to Cleveland Indians’ lineup sooner than expected