Ryan Howard has been a fixture in the Philadelphia Phillies cleanup spot for five years. Howard has been productive as cleanup hitter, but Charlie Manuel could improve his lineup by inserting John Mayberry Jr. into the cleanup spot between Chase Utley and Howard. Doing so would improve the lineup without sacrificing production in the cleanup spot.

The Case for Change

The Phillies win because of their pitching. Philadelphia's offense is middle-of-the road, no matter which statistic you use:

Runs scored: Phillies rank 13th of 30 MLB teams.

Team batting average: Phillies rank 17th of 30 MLB teams.

wOBA: Phillies rank 13th of 30 MLB teams.

Philadelphia's offense was the reason they lost in the 2010 playoffs. It’s also a major risk going in to the 2011 playoffs.

Philadelphia's lineup needs a kick-start. John Mayberry Jr. as everyday left fielder and cleanup hitter could be the answer. The first six hitters in the revamped lineup would be:

1. Rollins, SS

Mayberry Jr. would break up Utley and Howard, making the Phillies lineup tougher

2. Victorino, CF

3. Utley, 2B

4. Mayberry Jr., LF

5. Howard, 1B

6. Pence, RF

Breaking Up the Left-Handed Hitters, Adding Depth

Charlie Manuel’s stubborn resistance to breaking up lefties Chase Utley and Ryan Howard weakens Philadelphia's lineup. Opposing managers use left-handed pitchers against both Utley and Howard, especially in late-game situations.

Inserting Mayberry Jr. between Utley and Howard would make the lineup more powerful.  The left-right-left sequence of Utley, Mayberry Jr. and Howard matches up better against left-handed relief pitching. Opposing managers would need to think twice about bringing a left handed reliever in to face Utley.

Having Mayberry Jr. as cleanup hitter would also add depth. Hunter Pence could still protect Ryan Howard, and Pence would be one of the most dangerous six-hole hitters in MLB. Carlos Ruiz and Placido Polanco would be solid to close out the lineup.

The Cleanup Spot Would Still Produce Runs

Projected over a full season, John Mayberry Jr.’s 2011 production would equal or beat Ryan Howard’s.  Here’s the comparison:

RBI: Mayberry Jr. 91, Howard 96.

HR: Mayberry Jr. 26, Howard 26.

OPS: Mayberry Jr. .841, Howard .828.

Naysayers might argue that projecting a full season is not valid, since Mayberry Jr. has been hot after returning from triple-A in July. But the statistics include Mayberry Jr.’s early-season slump—about half his at-bats came before his demotion to triple-A. 

Also, Mayberry Jr. has hit all over the lineup; he has not had the protection that he would have in the cleanup spot. Mayberry Jr. might hit even better if he were inserted into the cleanup spot.

Why Not Give It a Shot?

With a large lead in the playoff race, Charlie Manuel should be using August and September to explore ideas for increasing offensive production. The first idea he should try is inserting John Mayberry Jr. in the cleanup spot full time. Mayberry Jr. may not be up to the task, but now is the time to give it a try.

What’s the worst that could happen?