Starlin Castro is primed to be a table setter for the Cubs. Photo: Icon SMI

The series on team offense continues with the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs finished eighteenth in the majors and tenth in the National League in offense last season, scoring 4.23 runs per game.

The CBSSportsline probable batting order gives us a feel for the type of lineup Mike Quade is likely to use. The OBP and slugging percentage used come from the Marcel the Monkey forecast system, with the 2010 results used for the pitcher slot. Plugging those numbers in the Lineup Analysis Tool (LAT) produces the following results:

• Best lineup: 4.62 runs per game
• Probable lineup: 4.45 runs per game
• Worst lineup: 4.11 runs per game
• Regressed lineup: 4.22 runs per game

I really like Quade’s lineup, and I’m a bit surprised it wasn’t closer to the optimum. Kosuke Fukudome and Starlin Castro are perfect table setters. If the LAT has a weakness, it doesn’t realize that catchers are not the best players to put at the top of the order, as it likes to bat Geovany Soto second.

There isn’t a lot of firepower in this order, but most of the players get on base at a decent clip. Alfonso Soriano is the only starter projected to have a below average OBP. There’s a good chance the Cubs can keep the the merry-go-round going on the bases, and a few well timed big hits could lead to big innings.

So I’m optimistic about the Cubs this year. One through seven, there are no big holes in the lineup. With a little luck, they could surprise some teams in the NL, especially if they can add a big bat in the middle of the season.

You can see the results of all the teams on this Google spreadsheet as the series progresses.

Previous articles in this series:

• New York Yankees
• Boston Red Sox
• Tampa Bay Rays
• Cincinnati Reds
• Texas Rangers
• Minnesota Twins
• Philadelphia Phillies
• Colorado Rockies
• Toronto Blue Jays
• Chicago White Sox
• Detroit Tigers
• Milwaukee Brewers
• Atlanta Braves
• St. Louis Cardinals
• Florida Marlins
• Arizona Diamondbacks
• San Francisco Giants

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