Breaking Down the Mariners Lineup Order
By Nick Lee
![Jul 30, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Seattle Mariners center fielder Leonys Martin (12) hits a single during the fourth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports Jul 30, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Seattle Mariners center fielder Leonys Martin (12) hits a single during the fourth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/d68163bdd02ac64a4634253a84376ec1a5dcf69eacc7c7d9924e19821c149037.jpg)
3. Robinson Cano, 2B
This one is rather self-explanatory. Your third hitter is your best overall hitter. He needs to hit for average and for power. Cano fits the bill about as well as anyone in baseball. Hitting .298 with 39 home runs and 103 RBI last season is exactly what the Mariners paid $240 million for. If he stays healthy again, expect similar results (maybe not 39 HRs but close).
4. Nelson Cruz, DH
Another obvious one. The number four hitter is your “clean-up” hitter meaning he cleans the bases of baserunners by hitting the ball over the fence. That’s what Boomstick Cruz does best, as he has 87 home runs in his two-year Mariners career. This has a chance to be one of the most lethal heart of a lineup in all of baseball. Cruz is good at what he does. This should be fun.
5. Kyle Seager, 3B
In a lot of lineups around the big leagues, Seager might be hitting clean-up.
But in this loaded lineup, he is fifth. The fifth hitter in the lineup usually has a combined skillset of numbers three and four. He might not have the raw power of your fourth guy but he has the extra-base skills of number three. Seager is that man. He had 69 extra-base hits last year (36 doubles, 3 triples, 30 home runs). He also drove in 99 runs. He would have had more if Cruz and Cano would have stopped hitting so many home runs.