The series on team offense continues with the Oakland Athletics. The A’s finished 14th in the majors and ninth in the American League in 2009, scoring 4.69 runs per game. The probable lineup on CBSSportsline serves as the template for the calculation.

The OBP and slugging percentage used come from the Marcel the Monkey forecast system. Plugging those numbers in the Lineup Analysis Tool (LAT) produces the following results:

• Best lineup: 4.84 runs per game
• Probable lineup: 4.75 runs per game
• Worst lineup: 4.66 runs per game
• Regressed lineup: 4.50 runs per game

Like a number of teams studied so far, whatever lineup Bob Geren decides on won’t make that much of a difference, since there is only 0.18 runs per game difference between the best and the worst he can choose. Unlike some of those other teams, however, this offense just doesn’t score that many runs, due to a lack of power.

That said, the lineup proposed looks upside down. Three of the A’s four best OBP projected players are batting six through nine in the order. Geren seems to be going with the classic looking leadoff men (fast) rather than those who are actually good at getting on base. Maybe Davis and Crisp will surprise and post outstanding years, but Barton or Sweeney would be a better table setter.

Previous entries in this series:

• Toronto Blue Jays
• New York Yankees
• Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
• Boston Red Sox
• Philadelphia Phillies
• Minnesota Twins
• Colorado Rockies
• Tampa Bay Rays
• Milwaukee Brewers
• Texas Rangers
• Los Angeles Dodgers
• Cleveland Indians
• Florida Marlins

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