Optimal Cubs Lineup vs. RHP to Start the Year

The MLB Regular Season is right around the corner, so I wanted to look at what might be the best lineup for the Chicago Cubs this year. I’m going to do it based on what I think should be done, not necessarily what I believe Counsell will do. Of course, there are still holes in this Cubs lineup. I have a hard time believing it is the finished product. In fact, comparing this year’s predicted lineup to last year’s, there isn’t much that’s changed. There are a lot of questions: Who will actually play first base? Will Morel be the team’s full-time third baseman? Will PCA get the callup? All those will be answered eventually, but I am going to do my best to predict the Cubs lineup. I will be making an optimal lineup vs. left-handed pitching as well.

Chicago Cubs Lineup vs. RHP:

1.       Nico Hoerner – 2B

2.       Seiya Suzuki – RF

3.       Cody Bellinger – CF

4.       Christopher Morel – 3B

5.       Ian Happ – LF

6.       Dansby Swanson – SS

7.       Mike Tauchman – DH

8.       Michael Busch – 1B

9.       Miguel Amaya – C

There are obviously still a few talking points, so let me take a deeper dive into the lineup.

1.       Nico Hoerner – 2B:

I love Nico in this position. To me, he imbodies everything a leadoff guy should be. He starts the game off on the right foot, being aggressive in the box and on the basepath. He usually hits above .280 and can hit almost any pitch. He needs to leadoff.

2.       Seiya Suzuki – RF

This is the perfect spot for Seiya. Suzuki so far hasn’t shown the ability to hit for a ton of power, but still has that in his game. He’s got a great eye at the plate and is very capable to hit the ball anywhere on the field.

3.       Cody Bellinger – CF

Cody has to be here. He spent all of last season hitting fourth, which is great. But he deserves to be in the three-hole. This was one of Cubs fan’s many complaints about David Ross last season, and Counsell has shown he’s looking to remedy that immediately. Cody is MVP caliber, and he needs the opportunity to get as many at-bats as possible.

4.       Christopher Morel – 3B

Christopher Morel is a great clean-up guy. He has the potential to hit 40 home runs if he stays in the Bigs all year. His strikeout rate is certainly high, but he’s shown the ability to be clutch over the past two years. He has played pretty well at 3B this Spring too, so excited about what he’s shown there.

5.       Ian Happ – LF

The Gold Glover in left isn’t going to lose his spot in the outfield anytime soon. However, it’s time to take Happer out of the three-hole. He just wasn’t getting it done there last year. I still love Happ though, and his bat is very valuable to this lineup. He was second on the team in on-base percentage last season and can hit for power and average.

6.       Dansby Swanson – SS

When Swanson first came in, Rossy had him hitting second. That’s fine, especially since he started on an absolute tear. However, Swanson has never been a top of the order guy. When he was most successful in Atlanta, he was hitting in the 6th spot. I think this puts him in the high-leverage spots that he can thrive in without having the pressure of being a top of the order guy, and I think he will do much better there.  

7.       Mike Tauchman – DH

Tauchman isn’t your classic DH. He’s not the guy who’s going to go up there and bag 40 homers while barely being able to run around the bases. Tauchman can play, and his defense isn’t half bad either. I foresee Counsell using Tauchman and Bellinger interchangeably in the DH/CF role. He led the team in on-base percentage last season and hit a few homers. He’s not going to change the game with his bat, but I think he will prove very valuable in this lineup.

8.       Michael Busch – 1B

I’m giving Busch the first-baseman’s role, at least against righties. The Cubs went out and got him which makes me think they think he’s ready to play. He’s been training at first all Spring and played there a few times. His bat has looked good thus far. There is no reason to move him up in the lineup and put too much pressure on him. He’s still young and will fail sometimes but requires patience.

9.       Miguel Amaya – C

Again, there is debate on this position. I like Amaya here over Gomes. I think Amaya is the Cubs catcher for the future, but he’s ready to play every day. Obviously, Gomes is there, and he had an incredible year with the bat last year. However, Miguel should start against righties to keep getting reps in. I want to see him up for a full season to see what he’s really got. He’s very capable behind the dish. I could also see Counsell swapping Amaya and Tauchman in this lineup in order to use Tauchman as a “Second Lead-Off” kind of guy.