2011 Lugnuts Starting Lineup Forecast

This came about because of a terrific question sent in by a fan on the final LugCast of the regular season.

Here are my predictions for the 2011 Lansing Lugnuts...

Lineup:
C Carlos Perez
1B K.C. Hobson
2B Oliver Dominguez
SS Gustavo Pierre
3B Andy Fermin
LF Marcus Knecht
CF Jake Marisnick
RF Michael Crouse
DH Lance Durham

Key question:  Lance Durham and K.C. Hobson are both left-handed hitting first basemen.  They shouldn't both be here, and yet Hobson is a virtual Lugnut lock while Durham has spent the last two years with Auburn.  Where else would you send him?

Bench:
C Jack Murphy
OF Stephen McQuail
OF Markus Brisker

Key question:  How many struggling 2010 Lugnuts -- i.e., Ryan Schimpf, Balbino Fuenmayor, Eric Eiland -- return for 2011?

Rotation:
RHP Deck McGuire
RHP Drew Hutchison
RHP Daniel Webb
RHP Casey Lawrence
RHP Asher Wojciechowski

Key questions:  This is a prospect-laden rotation, albeit totally right-handed.  Does Sam Strickland slide into the rotation to give the Lugs a left-handed arm?  Will we see talented 18-year-olds Aaron Sanchez and Noah Syndergaard sooner or later?

Bullpen:
LHP Sam Strickland
LHP Michael Kelly
RHP Scott Gracey
RHP Danny Barnes
RHP Milciades Santana
RHP Dayton Marze
RHP Drew Permison

Key questions:  Once again, these are all newcomers with the exception of Gracey and late addition Barnes.  Who else returns from the disappointing 2010 bullpen?  A recommitted Brian Slover?  A healthy Dustin Antolin?  Aaron Loup or Matt Wright, just to make sure there are some more lefties in the pen?  By the way, the numbers were just brilliant for Marze, Santana, and Permison last year.  Hopefully they'll keep it up.

Comments

Anonymous said…
What about your left handed seat of the pants driver?
The Southpaw said…
Given that Dunedin doesn't have an obvious candidate for 1B (unless you move someone like Tally from another position) I'm betting they skip Durham up to high-A (given he's older than Hobson)

also, I've a hunch you see Sanchez in the rotation in the second half.

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