In a Fully Healthy Brewers Playoff Lineup, Who Bats Where?

Constructing a lineup isn’t strictly science – and it's not just a numbers game. At times in 2017 and 2018, the Brewers had Eric Thames leading off. Thames could get on base, but he was arguably a misfit for the top spot, both for what he didn’t have (speed) and what he had (power). So, how could the Brewers lineup be emerging, knowing that they might get Christian Yelich back before making their playoff run?

Leadoff
Brice Turang has often batted leadoff (55 times in 115 games) while providing Gold Glove-caliber defense at the keystone. The Crew has also seen Sal Frelick (19 times) and Jackson Chourio (17 times) handle leadoff duties this season, with William Contreras (8 times) and Joey Oritz (9 times) as occasional options against lefties earlier in the campaign. At this point, either Turang or Frelick can make a case for being the best option, with Frelick having a slight edge in OBP (.345 to .318) but Turang having great speed utility. Frelick usually plays right field lately, but could also handle left or center.

Second
Contreras (94 games) has been the principal No. 2 hitter for the Crew this year, but in the month of August, Chourio has hit there five times. Ask the Braves how it went for them. Rhys Hoskins had six appearances in this spot, and some other Brewers have hit there, but given his performance since the beginning of June, Chourio is probably the best option going forward. He's hitting for contact (.330 batting average since then), power (14 homers on the year), and speed (16 steals). Chourio’s played both corner spots, mostly in right, but lately has been a regular in left field.

Third
Christian Yelich has hit third in 71 of the 73 games he has played this season. That’s an easy call, given his .909 OPS, his best figure since his 2018-2019 MVP-level performances. At this point, the best option may be for him to primarily DH the rest of the year--assuming he's able to return, and at more or less full strength.

Cleanup
Willy Adames has been hitting the ball hard in his walk year (team-leading 21 homers and 79 RBIs) and he’s handled cleanup 91 times in 116 games, but with Chourio seizing the No. 2 spot, it's primarily been Contreras batting fourth over the last week.

Fifth
Hoskins, Jake Bauers, and Frelick have each had at least 20 games in the fifth spot so far this season. But when Yelich returns, Garrett Mitchell might be the best option, after recently holding down the three spot for three of the last five games. He’s missed a lot of time with injury, but in the small samples he's cobbled together, his bat has been dynamic. He’ll likely be the primary center fielder going forward, unless and until the league figures him out.

Sixth
Hoskins has hit sixth 38 times, the most in any spot. (He’s also the Brewer with the most appearance in the 5 hole.) However, as the development of Chourio and the return of Mitchell are pushing people down, Adames could end up batting sixth--if and when Yelich does come back.

Seventh
Frelick has hit the most in this spot for the Brewers (27 games). At this point, though, Hoskins might become a fixture there; it's where he's slotted three times in the last five contests. Hoskins has delivered a 111 OPS+ for the Crew, and his 20 homers and 59 RBIs are too much for the 8- or 9-holes. (Yes, I’m aware that Dale Sveum hit 25 homers and produced 95 RBIs in 110 game at those spots in 1987, but that should be a cautionary tale, rather than an object for emulation.)

Eighth
Chourio’s hit in the 8-hole 27 times this season, the most on the club--followed closely by Ortiz, who hit there 26 times. Here, the Crew faces a tough choice between Ortiz and Turang. Ortiz brings the higher OPS and OPS+, but Turang could break up the lineup and avoid having three right-handed hitters in a row. In this case, the OPS and OPS+ indicate that Milwaukee’s primary third baseman should hit here.

Ninth
Either Turang or Frelick will end up hitting here, but it’s really due to the immense offensive talent and production that’s in front of them. It’s not that either would be horrible at leadoff--they've been very good, if you remove their dearth of power from the equation--but Frelick’s OBP is higher, so having Turang down here would be wiser. He’s got some pop this year, but not so much as to warrant hitting in the middle of the order. Turang can still do a lot of damage in the 9-spot – not as much as Sveum did in `87, but plenty. In essence, he can set the table for Frelick and Chourio.

Potential Playoff Run Lineup:

1. RF Frelick
2. LF Chourio
3. DH Yelich
4. C Contreras
5. CF Mitchell
6. SS Adames
7. 1B Hoskins
8. 3B Ortiz
9. 2B Turang

Overview
The Brewers have the offensive talent to have no trouble scoring runs off the best teams in the league, as the three-game series in Atlanta shows. The trick is to build the lineup that can do so on a very consistent basis, to back up a pitching staff that has performed miraculously in overcoming injuries this season.

What do you think the Brewers lineup should be for the playoff run?