Who will be the Sox's #2 hitter in the line up for 2007

[scaffolds]

The Sox are paying 9 millions a year to Julio Lugo not for his glove but to be their lead off hitter in 2007, but who be the #2 hitter? There has been some talk that Youkilis may be the one, but the only thing that Youkilis brings to the table is that he takes a lot of pitches, but Youkilis doesn't hit to the right side (unless he gets jam) and worst of all strikes out way to much, in another words doesn't have the skills for the spot. Coco Crisp made his name being the Guardians #2 hitter where he has the speed and pop for the spot. the down side of Crisp hitting in the #2 hole its that it takes some of his running game away from him because of hitting in front of Ortiz and Manny.

[ORS]

I don't think worries about utilizing Crisp in the running game should hold much weight because the Sox don't run much anyway. If Crisp is showing signs of getting his stroke back, and he can show a little more patience than he did last year, then he'd be the guy I'd go with. If he's repeating last year, they have to go with Youk for his OBP skills. The best way to score runs is to have people on base for the sluggers.

[ANiMAL]

prolly youk

[hoke3182]

Crisp is to much of a swinger and doesn't have the patience for a #2 hitter in the sox lineup.Youk is much better equiped to hit # 2 , and Crisp would be perfect as the # 8 hitter.

[scaffolds]

I agree that Francona doesn't believe in the running game which is a mistake a team can't depend of the home run, also Lugo and Crisp can score from first base on a double Youkilis can't and besides HR you would expect Ortiz or Manny to hit them.

[scaffolds]

Crisp is to much of a swinger and doesn't have the patience for a #2 hitter in the sox lineup.Youk is much better equiped to hit # 2 ' date=' and Crisp would be perfect as the # 8 hitter.[/quote']

 

How about those 120 strike outs of Youkilis, you would not get that from Crisp beside the free swinging that you claim that Crisp is. As a matter of fact i will take Pedroia over Youkilis.

[Beckett95]

ya but Youk gets on base way more than Crisp. Crisp's OBP is not good enough for him to be at the top of the lineup. Start him 8th in the lineup, if he plays well and gets his OBP back up to atleast .345+ maybe move him to the 2nd spot.

[Bud]

I'd go with Crisp

[Beckett95]

.381 OBP, 5 SB

.317 OBP, 22 SB

 

which one would you rather see batting in front of Ortiz, Manny and Drew??

[jacksonianmarch]

Crisp is a .050 IsoP kinda guy, so he isnt your prototypical 2 hitter. Then again, he does make pretty good contact, which is something you want out of your 2, and something that Youk is not terribly good at. But Youk's IsoP is .102, something that you dont see very often. I'd start Youk there and see what Crisp can do under lesser pressure in the bottom of the order, then re-evaluate at a month in.

[scaffolds]

You can't based Crisp OBP on 2006 he was never right after he hurt his finger, Crisp is the better hitter of the two and not only he has more speed than Youkilis but more pop, Youkilis the only thing he brings to the table is the base on balls.

[Beckett95]

how do you know that crisp is ever going to be the same? thats why, as i stated before, crisp should start in the 8th spot and if he plays better, like he did in cleveland, maybe put him in the 2 spot.

[scaffolds]

Not one knows if a player would come back to be the same player after an injury, but Crisp may had been rush to come back last year, the type of injury that he had isn't the type of injury that players don't come back from with the right tratment and rest, while i am not a doctor don't see a reason why he couldn't be healthy from this injury.

[ORS]

how do you know that crisp is ever going to be the same? thats why' date=' as i stated before, crisp should start in the 8th spot and if he plays better, like he did in cleveland, maybe put him in the 2 spot.[/quote']

The decision about where Crisp starts the year should not occur on January 13th. If the offseason surgery gets him right, and he gets his stroke back in ST, then he's worthy of consideration.

[ANiMAL]

id also say youk b/c he seems to be more clutch than crisp... i remember patriots day last year.... if im wrong let me know, but youk is clutch, and i think a clutch guy that gets on base and a clutch home run king duo would be deadly if it came down to the 9th innning at the top of the order

[riverside sluggers]

I asked rotoauthority on what is their stance on Youkilis for 2007. They based this stat if he was still hitting leadoff for some reason--- .275 avg, 17 HRs, 66 RBIs, 108 Runs, 4 SBs

 

http://www.rotoauthority.com/2007/01/2007_fantasy_ba.html#comments

[scaffolds]

108 RBI????? for Youkilis and even 17 HR that its very unlikely. Sox fans always likes blue collar players, but this love affair with Youkilis its a joke.

[ORS]

It's 108 RUNS, scaff.

[riverside sluggers]

Exactly, carefully read posts before you reply with an attempt to insult

[ksushi]

Coco must be hitting somewhere around .300 career as #2 hitter cause thats where he batted in Cleveland. I'd go with him batting second and Lugo leading off to start.

[scaffolds]

Exactly' date=' carefully read posts before you reply with an attempt to insult[/quote']

 

Even 17 HR is a long shot, you claim that prediction came from Roto so you schouldn't take personally and it wasn't made as a insult to you or anyone just that the Love for Youkilis isn't realistic.

[scaffolds]

2006 was Yooukilis first year playing as a regular in the AL, teams didn't have a book on him and he hit over 300 ( may have been around 310) in the first half of the season, in the second have when they learned how to pitch to him ( don't have the stats with me) he finished the season around 270 ( I think it was 269) a big drop off from the first half. I believe that he is closer to the second half hitter than to the first half. Not only does he has a slow bat, but to many holes in his swing.

[ksushi]

But at the same time, part of being a professional baseball player is making adjustments. Youk will come back and adjust to their adjustments. I'm not saying he is a .310 hitter, but .280-.290 with good on base isn't out of reach. Youk is a pro. He isn't just going to become a .260 hitter because the league learned how to pitch him, he'll learn how to hit in the bigs.

 

Lugo

Coco

Ortiz

Manny

Drew

Lowell

Youk

Varitek (come back season?)

Pedroia

 

That coupled with our pitching staff is a scary good lineup. We need something to happen in the 'pen, be it Piniero running with the closer job, or Hansen and Delcarmen stepping up into the set-up core. Whatever it is, our bullpen is our biggest weakness right now, but its pretty big.

[jacksonianmarch]

I find that every prediction tries to take players back to the mean, either from below towards it or dragging down those from above down to it. Every single yankee position player was predicted to decline.

[jacksonianmarch]

at the same time, I have defended youkilis on this board to the teeth. I dont care if he is the last rated 1b in all of baseball, what does your lineup need. To give you an example;

 

The Yankees have a lineup with AS's from C, 2B, 3B, SS, and what could be all three OF positions. Their 1b is predicted to hit something like 5-6HRs, but he gets on base at a .350-.360 clip. That is PERFECT for their lineup.

 

Same with Youkilis. The lineup has Manny and Ortiz in it. Drew may play 100 games if he ever gets signed. Vtek, Lowell and the like will chip in as well. You dont need Delgado numbers from your 1b. You need a guy who will be on base, wont clog basepaths and will score. Youk gives that to you.

[ksushi]

Drew will play 140 games, mark my words.

[jacksonianmarch]

over the life of the contract? Bold.

[TGov]

I'd put Coco in the #2 spot... he hit #2 for the Guardians so he has experience and knowns how to hit in the spot in the lineup... with Lugo hitting in front of him i think it will up lugo's running game because Youk takes to many pitches but Coco swings more and he will be a better hitter this year because he's health... and that the big thing with Coco, a lot of people haven't seen Coco healthy, so this year he will hopefully be healthy and can show what he has to offer... and like Scaffold said, Lugo and Coco can score from first, Youk can't... and wouldn't you want Youk in the bottom of the order to make it that much better, Youk can get on base, so we will have a well rounded lineup... but he strikeout a lot and that's why i think Coco should hit #2...

[castigs850]

There has been some talk that Youkilis may be the one, but the only thing that Youkilis brings to the table is that he takes a lot of pitches, but Youkilis doesn't hit to the right side (unless he gets jam) and worst of all strikes out way to much, in another words doesn't have the skills for the spot.

 

Now im not sure about the "cant hit to the right side" but doesnt that description sound a hell of a lot like bellhorn? IMO and im sure everyone elses here youk is a major upgrade over bellhorn, and he worked out for us pretty good right? Granted he gave us our fair share of headaches with all his stike outs he got what we needed him to do done on most occasions. I know our linekup isnt nearly what it used to be during bellhorns tenure but it is still pretty good and i think thats a good case to be made for Youk hitting #2 next year. HOWEVER if Coco shows signs of what he was in Cleveland i dotn see how there is anyway you could keep him out of the two whole. This should be a back and forth battle throughout ST and the frist few months of the season until we decide what the lineup can do and what we need more out of the 2 hole in the lineup. My vote for how our team looks now would be Youk though.

[riverside sluggers]

How about those 120 strike outs of Youkilis' date=' you would not get that from Crisp beside the free swinging that you claim that Crisp is. As a matter of fact i will take Pedroia over Youkilis.[/quote']

 

Roto, what is your stance on Boston's rookie 2nd baseman Dustin Pedroia? Everyone it seems is just so quick to write him off. What do you see the 2007 line at?

Posted by: pedroia2007 | January 13, 2007 at 10:54 AM

 

If Pedroia bats 2nd:

 

.289 avg, 8 HRs, 62 RBIs, 85 Runs, 5 SBs in 570 ABs, worth $3.24.

Posted by: RotoAuthority | January 13, 2007 at 12:49 PM