Early projection of Opening Day lineup

For baseball fans, March 31st represents the unofficial beginning of spring. It is the Home Opener of our Minnesota Twins. Every Twins fan plans their daily schedule around the Home Opener weeks in advance in order to ensure their attendance. Whether you plan to tailgate around the dome and stagger to your outfield seats, watch the game from home with Dick and Bert or listen to Gladden and Gordon on the radio, it’s an exciting day. Personally, I am planning to attend the game with general admission seats where diehard fans reside.

In just over a month, we’ll know how much our starting lineup has changed over the offseason and the players set to replace familiar faces such as Jason Bartlett, Torii Hunter, Lew Ford, Johan Santana, Carlos Silva and Matt Garza. With Spring Training determining position battles and potential injuries giving way to younger players, the Opening Day lineup could shift dramatically over the next month. Below I have provided my initial analysis.

Starting lineup:
1.) Jason Pridie, CF
This may surprise people. Unless Carlos Gomez puts up crazy numbers during Spring Training (which is very likely), he should start in Rochester in order to avoid the Super-2 situation. For financial reasons, this only makes sense to the Twins while also giving an opportunity to Pridie who was never given much of one in Tampa Bay. Gomez is most likely the future center fielder, but we don’t need him to contribute this year. We need Gomez for the new stadium in 2010. Pridie proved his worth with an impressive performance in AAA Durham last year. Pridie is fast and has the tools to lead off and attract attention on Opening Day. Don’t be quick to assume Gomez has this locked because Pridie will make it difficult, and he helps to keep Gomez with the organization longer by negating the Super-2 situation.

2.) Joe Mauer, C
Who didn’t see this one coming? The only thing surprising about Mauer in the lineup is his position. I will continue to say that Mauer must be our No.2 table setter unless he develops his power. He has a high career on-base percentage at .394. He isn’t afraid to go deep into counts with his ability to make contact, and his eye at the plate is near perfect. Not to mention he can bunt, which seems to be a rarity on this team. Can you say table setter? I can!

3.) Delmon Young, LF
This is probably expected. Young was brought to this team to make us all forget about Torii Hunter. Before the 2007 season, Young was declared by most analysts the No.1 prospect in Major League Baseball. He proved them right with a solid season for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2007. Young had problems in Tampa Bay staying out of trouble but playing for the worst team in baseball can make you do crazy things. Remember, he is only 21 years old. The sky is the limit with this kid.

4.) Justin Morneau, 1B
No surprises here. Morneau can’t just stay here and not product, he needs to solidify the cleanup spot. If the Twins expect to have any chance of making the postseason again, Morneau will be the key to their success. With a contract signed that will guarantee him to be here for the next half decade, expect a repeat of his 2006 MVP season.

5.) Michael Cuddyer, RF
As the savvy veteran of the team and the new “friendly” face of the organization (see Torii Hunter), expect the standard from Cuddyer. I like to call him “Mr. Consistent.” Don’t expect the world, but he will produce. After seeing his homeruns drop from 24 in 2006 to 16 in 2007, expect an increase in power with the arrival of Young. Cuddyer will see more pitches and drive in more runs with experience and speed in front of him.

6.) Kubel/Monroe, DH
I see this as a platoon between Kubel and Monroe with both playing the outfield on occasion. I don’t see Monroe here frequently if Gardenhire goes with the right-left combination in the lineup. If he was to follow standard lineup configuration rules, Monroe would switch with Lamb when he is the designated hitter. This is the last chance for Kubel to shine. If Kubel doesn’t put up the numbers he is capable of (25 homeruns, .300 average), he should be shown the exit. Monroe on the other hand could provide that pop we would desire against lefties. If he is able to show flashes of his 2006 campaign, playoffs won’t be a thing of the past.

7.) Mike Lamb, 3B
Brought in as a free agent to replace the dreadful production of Nick Punto, Lamb should at least provide consistency. As long as he can prove his worth defensively, he should maintain his spot in the lineup. Expect above average numbers from Lamb but nothing more. At age 31, Lamb is simply a stopgap in order to track the development of players such as Deibinson Romero, Matt Tolbert, Danny Valencia and Matt Moses.

8.) Adam Everett, SS
Defense! That is what Adam Everett will provide. Think Nick Punto of 2007, but a glove that is close to impeccable. The nice thing about Everett is that he provides veteran leadership and will allow players such as Trevor Plouffe and Alexi Casilla to further develop their skills and learn from one of the best. You might be wondering why I don’t have him batting last if he is so bad. Read below to find out why.

9.) Brendan Harris, 2B
Coming over from the Garza trade, Harris could be an overlooked centerpiece of this team. He should bat last because he hits for average and will help to round off the bottom. Everett would only cause outs in the ninth spot which makes it more difficult on our young lead-off hitter to succeed. With Harris here, Mauer will have many more opportunities for RBIs, and it will provide an extra table setter for the heart of the order to generate runs. Although his defense could force his quick demise, expect consistency from Harris along with a much needed bat from a position that lost a dependable player in 2007 with Luis Castillo.