Phillies: 2018’s lineup questions
By Tal Venada
Considerations aplenty:
Hitting seventh, Jorge Alfaro will work on improving his defense and supplying some power to a decent average. But if Franco struggles, he could drop to seventh and Alfaro could move up to sixth.
In the eight hole, Crawford could use walks to turn over the lineup and get sacrificed to second by the pitcher with less than two outs. Or Alfaro or Franco could drop down in the order if Crawford bats second behind Hernandez. Maybe, Double D, the rookie’s patience can foster a running game for Hernandez.
While only some within the Phillies organization know Kapler’s approach toward the lineup, writers and fans are in the dark. For instance, if Hernandez, Santana, and Hoskins are the first three hitters, where does that leave everyone else?
Possibilities:
- 1-3: Hernandez, Santana, and Hoskins.
- 4-6: Herrera, Williams, Altherr or Franco in no particular order.
- 7-9: Alfaro, Crawford and the pitcher
The benefit of Hernandez, Santana, and Hoskins atop the lineup will be to take an early lead and relax not only the hurlers but also the rest of the batting order. In other words, they’ll be more productive.
Will the lineup be Hernandez (SH), Santana (SH), Herrera (LH) and Hoskins (RH), or will Hoskins bat elsewhere? Yes, a big question!