Cleveland Indians: The ideal starting lineup in 2018

The Cleveland Indians have a variety of ways to deploy their talent in 2018. All that’s left is to figure out which way gets them back to the Fall Classic.

After reports that the Cleveland Indians are preparing to enter the 2018 season with Jason Kipnis as their second baseman, one of the burning questions of the Tribe’s offseason appears to have been answered.

Coupled with Chris Antonetti’s admission that the front office is bowing out of the high-stakes free agent market, the Kipnis news allows Indians fans to begin piecing together what the starting lineup will look like come springtime.

The infield is spoken for, with Kipnis and Yonder Alonso manning the right side, Francisco Lindor locked in at shortstop and Jose Ramirez returning to third base. Yan Gomes and Roberto Perez figure once again to split catching duties, though Gomes will likely remain the number-one backstop.

Bradley Zimmer is poised to be the Tribe’s Opening Day center fielder, with Lonnie Chisenhall and Michael Brantley manning the corner outfield positions. If Brantley, who is currently recovering from offseason ankle surgery, is unavailable for the start of the season, one of the Indians’ utility outfielders could begin 2018 out there in his stead. Edwin Encarnacion will round out the starting lineup in his usual designated hitter role.

Based on recent history (and assuming Brantley is ready for Opening Day), it’s safe to guess the lineup on March 29 against the Seattle Mariners will look something like this:

1. Francisco Lindor – SS
2. Jason Kipnis – 2B
3. Jose Ramirez – 3B
4. Edwin Encarnacion – DH
5. Yonder Alonso – 1B
6. Michael Brantley – LF
7. Lonnie Chisenhall – RF
8. Bradley Zimmer – CF
9. Yan Gomes – C

In a perfect world, that lineup (or whatever lineup Terry Francona decides to go with) roars into the season with authority, stays fully healthy and never lets up. But as any baseball fan knows, the rigor of a 162-game season doesn’t often allow for that perfect world.

Some players will outperform preseason expectations. Some, for one reason or another, will underachieve. And of course, no team emerges unscathed from a long season without suffering a few injuries. The hope is that through all these ups and downs, a team finds the best version of itself along the way.

That is the goal after all, isn’t it? It doesn’t matter how promising the April 1 lineup appears if the September 1 lineup isn’t battling for the postseason, does it?

With that in mind, let’s use our imaginations a little bit. Let’s pretend it is indeed the first week of September and the Indians are gearing up for their third consecutive playoff run. Francona has shuffled the lineup a few dozen times in response to slumps, breakouts and injuries, but the roster is now healthy and he must fine-tune it for the home stretch.

Let’s think outside the box, take some gambles, and construct the ideal lineup for an Indians World Series run.