Projecting Auburn Baseball’s Starting Lineup

February 13, 2020

Fresh off a trip to Omaha and the College World Series, the Auburn baseball team starts their 2020 campaign off against Illinois-Chicago this Friday in Auburn. This year’s version of the Tigers look to be as strong as ever, and if a few pieces come together, a second consecutive trip to the promised land could be in store.

Like every year, there were departures from the squad last year. Edouard Julien, Will Holland, and Elliott Anderson were the notable players who are now in the MLB minor league system. Although these guys were very integral to the team’s success last season, there is very much optimism that the players on this years team can fill the void and produce.

Without further ado, I will now unveil what I believe will be the starting lineup for Friday afternoon and also what could potentially be the main lineup for when SEC play comes if everything works out.

Outfield

The outfield seems pretty safe in assumption and also looks to be what holds this team together. Judd Ward will start in left field and look to build on a very up-and-down 2019 season. Kasen Howell will man center field just as he did in his freshman campaign. Steven Williams will start in right field and is projected to be one of the top hitters on the team in terms of run production.

Infield

The infield is where things could get interesting. Conor Davis will more than likely play first base, as that opens up a DH spot in the lineup. Rankin Woley will move over to third base where he looks to build on last season and also move to his more natural position, something that should help Auburn on the defensive side of the ball. He should be the leader of the lineup. The options for DH could be a very interesting battle, as some names include John Samuel Shenker, who is a tight end on the football team, Nate LaRue, a talented freshman, and others such as Brody Moore. This is a position that might not be determined until sometime around SEC play.

The catcher position is going to be a strength for the Tigers this season, as Matt Scheffler returns and will anchor Auburn behind the plate. Head Coach Butch Thompson would also love if Matt can get his bat going and be a tough out towards the bottom of the lineup as well.

Up the middle, Ryan Bliss looks to use last season as a stepping stone of becoming a star. The sophomore played well in his first season on the plains, and will probably slide over to his natural position of shortstop, giving way to a new second baseman. The two guys that look to have a shot at winning the job are Garrett Farquhar and Brody Moore. In my Opening Day lineup prediction later in the article, I will give my prediction of who will take over in that role.

Pitching

The pitching staff is shaping up to be one of the best in a very long time at Auburn. Under new pitching coach Tim Hudson, Auburn looks to rebound and be even better than they were last season. Tanner Burns is of course the star, and is now a guy who is the unquestioned leader of this team and someone who AU will undoubtedly ask a lot of during the season to get them to where they want to be. Jack Owen is a guy who gets overlooked a lot but should have a great season, and is my pick to be the biggest x-factor for this team to make another run deep into the season. Bailey Horn will be the Sunday starter, and based on how he finished last season, he will be a very good one at that. Cody Greenhill once again will be the stalwart out of the bullpen, and if Butch Thompson and company can find some more guys to help him out, this Tiger pitching staff could be one of the nation’s very best in 2020.

Predicting the lineup

Baseball is a funny game and there is a bunch of ways the lineup could be constructed, but here goes my best shot…