The series on team offense continues with the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners finished twenty second in the majors and twelfth in the American League in 2013 with 3.85 runs scored per game.

The CBSSports.com projected lineup that Lloyd McClendon may use is plugged into the Lineup Analysis Tool (LAT) using Musings Marcels as the batter projections. That information produces the following results:

• Best lineup: 4.72
• Probable lineup: 4.65
• Worst lineup: 4.51
• Regressed lineup: 4.32

This is another team with consistent talent throughout the lineup, so there is little difference between the best and worst batting orders. McClendon puts Dustin Ackley, Kyle Seager, and Robinson Cano in the right order, just 1-2-3 instead of 9-2-1.

One feature of the LAT involves the third hitter in the lineup. Normally, this is one of the best hitters on the team. The LAT likes Logan Morrison there, someone with decent power who doesn’t get on base much. With good OBPs at 9-2-1, Morrison’s power would be useful driving in those players. Since Morrison is unlikely to lead-off an inning until the third or the fourth, his low OBP won’t hurt table setting that much. It would be tough to implement, since the third slot is rather coveted by the better hitters.

The addition of Cano, plus the maturation of some of the younger players should make the Mariners a much more formidable offense.

You can follow the data for the series in this Google spreadsheet.

Please consider donating to the Baseball Musings Pledge Drive.

Previous posts in the series:

• Introduction
• Boston Red Sox
• Detroit Tigers
• St. Louis Cardinals
• Oakland Athletics
• Baltimore Orioles
• Cleveland Indians
• Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
• Texas Rangers
• Toronto Blue Jays
• Colorado Rockies
• Cincinnati Reds
• Tampa Bay Rays
• Atlanta Braves
• Arizona Diamondbacks
• Washington Nationals
• New York Yankees
• Los Angeles Dodgers
• Kansas City Royals
• Milwaukee Brewers
• Pittsburgh Pirates
• San Francisco Giants