1: C Francisco Cervelli:
Anyone that told you that a leadoff man needed to be fast might have taught you wrong. The main purpose for a leadoff man is to get on base a pretty good bit. Cervelli does this and looking at the Pirates lineup, he's the best fit here. His almost consistent .370 OBP speaks for itself as to why he has deserved this lineup spot, and I do not mind sacrificing his driving in runs potential because that's never been his strength anyways. His strength has always been getting on-base.
2: 1B Josh Bell
I was debating putting Josh Bell at leadoff but just couldn't. I think he's suited to be the number 2 hitter. It gives him good protection in the lineup and his ability to see the ball and plate discipline of someone who has been in the MLB for ten years is special. Pirates setting their lineup up with two consecutive table setters is perfect, and Bell is unique that he can be a quality run producer too, another reason I didn't want him to bat leadoff.
3: RF Andrew McCutchen:
While it wasn't the best 2016 for Andrew, I think he's best suited in this lineup for the 3 hole. He's still a threat at the plate in this league and moving him out of the 3 spot accomplishes absolutely nothing. It's not about not moving him out of there because it would make him mad or any other excuse people come up with. He proved he was okay with it in 2016. It's about moving him out of the three hole would not make the lineup better.
4: 3B Jung Ho Kang:
I'm assuming Kang will be there on Opening Day here. Anyway, while I do not think the cleanup hitter needs to hit for massive power, if you have a guy capable you don't think twice about putting him there. Kang is capable and then some. If healthy and not in trouble, Kang can easily hit 30-35 HRs as he makes homers look effortless. Pirates need to stick their big thumper at cleanup.
5: CF Starling Marte:
Marte gives the Pirates an intriguing lineup dynamic. A run producer that can steal bases with ease. He's a true all-around player. And batting 5th means he doesn't need to sacrifice either of those things in which he does so well. He can still produce runs and swipe bags to give the guys behind him better chances to also produce runs. Marte gives the Pirates a nice dynamic as a 5 hitter.
6: LF Gregory Polanco:
Wait? How did Polanco get pushed to 6th? This just goes to show how deep the Pirates lineup is. I wanted to put Bell down here but he fit better at 2. However, batting 6th isn't such a bad thing as this lineup is deep. Polanco has a great bat and can certainly produce runs from any spot in the lineup. Not only can he hit 25-30 HRs, but he can also give you plenty of doubles. He's a player capable of producing a lot of runs, even hitting 6th.
7th: 2B Josh Harrison:
Josh Harrison has been on the decline offensively but can still produce runs and could be a big commodity if he is able to do so out of the 7 hole in the lineup. He's not good enough to hit at the top of the lineup but can still be a useable player at the plate in the right spot. The bottom of the lineup is that spot, in my opinion.
8th: SS Jordy Mercer:
Poor Jordy Mercer, consistently being asked to hit 8th, but here we are again. However, if Mercer is your 8 hitter, you are doing great. Mercer is certainly capable of holding his own with the bat, and even though the position of shortstop is shifting towards offense, I would not mind if Mercer is not a big offensive threat as long as he gets it done on defense.
This is the Pirates lineup I want to see most. Though we will see many looks in the lineup this season, this is the one I think would produce the most for the Pirates. Given each player's unique skill set, I think a lineup that looks like this is the best potential lineup to produce big-time offense.
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