Colorado Rockies: The Ideal Offensive Lineup

PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 30: (R-L) Trevor Story #27, coach Ronnie Gideon #53, DJ LeMahieu #9 and hitting coach Duane Espy #58 of the Colorado Rockies watch from the dugout during the fifth inning of the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on March 30, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 30: (R-L) Trevor Story #27, coach Ronnie Gideon #53, DJ LeMahieu #9 and hitting coach Duane Espy #58 of the Colorado Rockies watch from the dugout during the fifth inning of the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on March 30, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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The Colorado Rockies offense has been struggling mightily lately. In this past three game series against the Miami Marlins, they had 15 hits with only two runs to show for it.

The Colorado Rockies are tied for last in OPS+, with the Miami Marlins. OPS+ is OPS that is adjusted for park and league conditions. This year, the league average in OPS+ is 97. The Rockies are at 77. This means they are 20 percent worse than the league average.

The Rockies have yet to find a lineup to get out of this slump. So, I’m going to pretend to be Rockies manager Bud Black for a few minutes and create the ideal offensive lineup based on OPS+.

Unfortunately, there is a large disparity on the Rockies when it comes to offensive production in the roster. There are only five players that have an above average OPS+: DJ LeMahieu (125), Trevor Story (108), Nolan Arenado (145), Charlie Blackmon (145) and David Dahl (111). The next closest player is Carlos Gonzalez at 77.

So, those five players are a lock in the lineup. This leaves catcher, first base, and one outfield spot as the positions left to fill and this is where it gets interesting.