Hey folks,
A reader commented on my last post asking for a projected starting lineup for next year. As I was in a car crossing five states for most of yesterday, I had not the time to answer his post. Now, however, I have all the time in the world, so here goes.
I will preface this by saying this is pure opinion -- I haven't spoken to any of the coaches or players this summer, and as I've been busy, I haven't had much time to really follow everyone's progress in summer leagues. So take this for what it is, a blind but educated guess.
2009 starting lineup
1) LF Chris Hervey -- No one on this team can replace the speed Andrew Means brought to the leadoff position, only Evan Crawford comes close. But Hervey bats leadoff over the speedster from Reynoldsburg and here's why: He had a .463 on-base percentage, second on the team only to Josh Phegley. Further, his .373 average was third behind Phegley and Sabourin, who ought to be the 3-4 combo next spring. Hervey may not have Means' speed, but he can still get around the bases plenty fast.
2) CF Evan Crawford -- I don't know that Crawford will make the permanent move to the outfield, something Tracy Smith toyed with last year, but he's got the speed and the arm, if he can learn the position. I like his bat and his speed up here ahead of say Tyler Rogers (for reasons I will explain later) or Alex Dickerson, who is an unproven commodity at this level. Most of the talk around Crawford last year centered on his defensive shortcomings, but lost in all that was his .335 average, 30 RBI, 18 stolen bases and 57 games started. He's underrated in my opinion and he's got tons of experience, something the Hoosiers finally have an abundance of.
3) C Josh Phegley -- If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Phegley was arguably the offensive player in the Big Ten last year -- I know he didn't win POTY, but you can still make that argument -- and a 2009 like 2008 will most certainly make him the heir apparent for that award and almost assuredly a top-five round draft pick.
4) 1B Jerrud Sabourin -- Sabourin was an amazing find last year. Cast off from Arizona, the San Diego native transferred in and had a stellar freshman year. He was outstanding offensively and defensively, and avoiding a sophomore slump for the left-hander will be key if the Hoosiers are to challenge for the Big Ten title.
5) RF Kipp Schutz -- He hit a major slump at the end of last year, but Schutz might still be the best pure power hitter on the IU squad outside of Phegley. He is a solid pull hitter and a strong defensive presence in the outfield. If Schutz can keep his average up, he'll be in the five-hole all season. If not, he could slide, with Nationals draft pick Alex Dickerson and high school teammate Drew Leininger both vying for playing time.
6) 2B Tyler Rogers -- I was tempted to put Rogers in the two-hole, but I left him in the middle of the order, and here's why: He hit an absolute groove toward the end of last season at the plate, smacking singles and doubles all over the place. He's got enough speed to command respect, and having him in the middle of the order was almost like having a second leadoff man that went to work when one of the 3-4-5 hitters cleared the bases (which they did rather often). Rogers should also stay at second, where he was perhaps the most valuable defensive player the Hoosiers had the second half of the season. He told me last May he felt the most comfortable overall once he became the everyday 2B, and I can't imagine him moving.
7) 3B Michael Earley/Ethan Wilson -- Together, they were perhaps the most underrated single entity the Hoosiers had last year this side of David Trager. The freshman/sophomore combo also saw plenty of playing time at DH as well, but they were both solid in the hot corner defensively, and Wilson went absolutely wild in the Big Ten Tournament last year. Look for Tyler Reimer -- once the heir apparent at third -- and Evan Crawford -- who played there in spurts last year -- to also get some PT at the 5, but right now it seems like Earley/Wilson's job to lose collectively.
8) SS Jake Dunning -- I slot him down here because while he's an obvious choice at short, I've never seen the kid and therefore know nothing about what he brings to the table offensively. Ryan had some stuff on him earlier in the summer that you can read here and here. He's tall for a SS (6-foot-4) but no one ever said that was a bad thing. Apparently he can pitch too, which the Hoosiers couldn't have too much of last season. His bat will be the key as to whether he stays here or in the lineup at all, methinks.
9) DH ???? -- This is anybody's guess, and I think the DH moves up or down the lineup in the spring depending on a variety of factors -- power production past Sabourin, whether Crawford bats down in the lineup again, and perhaps most important: who's actually the DH. Dickerson and Leininger are supposed to have solid bats, and they impressed in high school. Earley or Wilson could feature here too if they aren't playing third, as they have required experience at the plate. Dylan Swift impressed me in limited action late last season, and I could even see Phegley DHing some games with Swift or touted Heritage catcher Josh Lyon playing some backstop to give Phegley a break from catching duties. Obviously, were that the case, the DH position would be higher up in the lineup.
