Seattle Mariners: Predicting the 2011 Opening Day Lineup
162-0.
I still believe. We all still believe at this point.
As the MLB season draws near, the amount of belief you have in your team may begin to shrink, especially for a team like the Mariners, who only managed 61 wins last year.
But it's spring training, and it's a time for hope, a time for speculation and a time to make predictions that will inevitably be proved wrong.
That's where I come in. Without further ado, here is the lineup I believe the Mariners will roll out on April 1st in Oakland for the first of their 162 wins.
I still believe.
1) Ichiro Suzuki: Right Field
1 of 9
As long as the sun continues to shine—or, in Seattle's case, the weather continues to change hourly or maybe even "minute-ly,"—Ichiro Suzuki will continue to bat leadoff for the Mariners.
A model of consistency, Ichiro has recorded over 200 hits in all 10 of his seasons for the Mariners on his quest to become one of the best leadoff hitters of all time.
No argument needed here. The guy is good, and he's not hitting anywhere else in this lineup.
2) Chone Figgins: Third Base
2 of 9
Bad to the Chone. Wait, that's not how you pronounce his name? Oh well, I'm sticking with the nickname.
Whether or not I agree with the spelling of his first name, I agree that he's a good fit as the No. 2 hitter in this lineup. The M's won't be scoring 10 runs a game—they'll be looking to score runs in any way possible and have their pitching win it for them.
Figgins is someone who keeps the ball on the ground, walks at a good rate and won't try to do too much. Essentially, he's a veteran who will know how to effectively move Ichiro into scoring position for the middle of this powerful lineup.
The move back to third base—the position he played most when he had success with the Angels—should help him improve on last season.
3) Milton Bradley: Left Field
3 of 9
Easily my second favorite name in the game just behind Coco Crisp. You have to start this guy.
Seriously, is there any way you can really not start this guy? Well, yeah. Michael Saunders is a decent reason. But Saunders really didn't take advantages of his opportunities, so I think Bradley has to be the opening-day starter in LF.
Is there any question that this is the type of guy that will decide to produce in a contract year? He'll probably be splitting time with Saunders to start the year, but I'm guessing he finds the motivation (read: money) to start producing and stealing time away.
Don't forget, he was an All-Star just two years ago, so if he can get his mind right, I wouldn't be surprised to see him have a nice year, or at least a nice half-a-year in order to get traded again.
Sounds like a lot of "ifs" and "maybes," but if this spring training is any indication, Milton will be perfect for the No. 3 spot.
.png?w=256)
4) Jack Cust: Designated Hitter
4 of 9
There's one thing a designated hitter should be doing. I'll give you a hint. It's not fielding.
Let's look at one of those blind résumé things that seem to be so popular.
Player A: .194 Avg/.269 OBP/.340 SLG
Player B: .143 Avg/.177 OBP/.176 SLG
Player A was better, right? Well, yeah, but player A was the average of Mariners' DH in 2010, and Player B was the average of National League pitchers in 2010. Those stats are just a little too close for my liking.
Jack Cust should help solve those problems for the Mariners this year, as he is known for one thing: power. He's averaged 25 homers over the last four years and is perfect for the cleanup spot.
5) Justin Smoak: First Base
5 of 9
Acquired in the trade last summer for Cliff Lee, Smoak came up extremely short in fulfilling expectations. He's still young, though, and don't forget, he was plugged into the majors fairly quickly. He only got about 600 ABs in the minors.
The Mariners can't be too quick to move Smoak down in the lineup. They have to keep his confidence up, and in what will probably be another rebuilding year, they can afford to keep Smoak in the middle of the lineup, even if he struggles for a while.
There's no guarantee he will struggle, though, as the Mariners think there are just a few small adjustments in his swing that they can fix.
The key to the season for the M's is potential, and Smoak in the middle of the lineup provides oodles of it.
6) Franklin Gutierrez: Center Field
6 of 9
There's no doubt on the fact that he'll be playing CF, as he's turned himself into one of the best defenders at his position in the game. The real question marks are A) where will he land in the batting order and B) whether he can return his hitting to 2009 form.
Hey, if he returns to that 2009 form, this isn't a bad player to have at the No. 6 spot. He's got a nice combination of power and speed but doesn't get on base nearly well enough to be inserted into the top of the lineup.
Gutierrez has improved his steals every year since he's joined the Big Leagues and would be in a good spot to start those end-of-the-lineup-rallies that sometimes win you games.
He's only 27, and just like Smoak, he provides lots of potential.
7) Jack Wilson: Shortstop
7 of 9
He's in there for his defense, and he'll probably split time with fellow Wilson, Josh.
Best-case scenario: He plays terrific defense and doesn't mess up too bad on offense. Hits a lot of singles like he has done before and keeps innings going when we need him to.
Worst-case scenario: He hits like he has the last two years and doesn't back it up with the All-Star defense we know he can provide. He gets injured again and is replaced by Josh Wilson or Brendan Ryan, freeing up 2B for a certain North Carolina prospect...wait, maybe this was the best-case scenario.
8) Miguel Olivo: Catcher
8 of 9
Reports are he will be healthy by Opening Day, so I'm operating on that assumption.
Olivo provides good defense and good power from the right side. Of course, that power might be killed a little bit by spacey Safeco Field, but I'll gladly take what Olivo can provide out of the No. 8 spot and catcher position.
He's also a fan favorite from the Mariners from '04 and '05, so that should be good for an extra 10 to 15 tickets sold per game. Score.
9) Brendan Ryan: Second Base
9 of 9
He'll form a formidable (rolls off the tongue, right?) defensive middle infield with Wilson, but let's be honest—he's keeping the seat warm for prospect Dustin Ackley.
If Ackley gets his defense right and doesn't horribly mess up in Triple-A, he should be up the majors in June.
Until then, Ryan gets to hold this illustrious spot in the lineup that shouldn't put too much pressure on him. You know, except for the pressure from the ultra-talented rookie breathing down his neck.
No doubt about it—this Mariners team is full of question marks. The lineup is scattered with guys who have untapped potential or need to return to a form of one or two years ago. But hey, with the amount of bad luck that overcame them last year, is it too much to ask that they get a little lucky this year?
162-0. I still believe.
.png?w=480)
