masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgWhen watching the MLB Network’s “30 Clubs in 30 days” show this week on the Orioles, they listed the club’s potential starting lineup.

2B – Brian Roberts
RF – Nick Markakis
1B – Derrek Lee
DH – Vladimir Guerrero
LF – Luke Scott
CF – Adam Jones
3B – Mark Reynolds
C – Matt Wieters
SS – J.J. Hardy

This lineup makes a lot of sense in that it puts several players in spots where they figure to be quite comfortable and where they have succeeded before.

When batting second last year, Markakis…When watching the MLB Network’s “30 Clubs in 30 days” show this week on the Orioles, they listed the club’s potential starting lineup.

2B – Brian Roberts
RF – Nick Markakis
1B – Derrek Lee
DH – Vladimir Guerrero
LF – Luke Scott
CF – Adam Jones
3B – Mark Reynolds
C – Matt Wieters
SS – J.J. Hardy

This lineup makes a lot of sense in that it puts several players in spots where they figure to be quite comfortable and where they have succeeded before.

When batting second last year, Markakis hit .316 with an on-base percentage of .395 and OPS of .847.

Lee has batted third more than at any other spot in his career and has a lifetime .295 average there with an OPS of .891, both numbers exceeding his career averages in those stats.

While I have mentioned I like Jones batting second and he hit .300 with an OPS of .830 there last year, I don’t expect to see it. When hitting sixth, Jones batted .347 with a .972 OPS.

Reynolds had most of his at-bats last season in the fifth and sixth slots. When batting seventh in 2010, he went 7-for-29 with three homers, six RBIs and a 1.027 OPS.

Meanwhile, as kind of a fun thing MLB Network does, they listed an O’s historical lineup. Keep in mind, this was not an all-time Orioles team, but a team made up of players who had the best single seasons at each position. It’s a pretty strong lineup to say the least.

CF – Brady Anderson, 1996
2B – Bobby Grich, 1974
SS – Cal Ripken, 1983
RF – Frank Robinson, 1966
1B – Boog Powell, 1969
DH – Eddie Murray, 1977
3B – Brooks Robinson, 1964
LF – B.J. Surhoff, 1999
C – Chris Hoiles, 1993

That is a good group, of course, and three of those seasons were MVP years as Ripken, Frank and Brooks took home the hardware in the seasons listed. Interesting that Powell’s 1969 season was listed even though he won the MVP in 1970.

In 1966, Frank was a Triple Crown winner.

What do you think of these O’s lineups present and past?