Colorado Rockies: Projecting the Opening Day lineup 2.0

2) Colorado Rockies left fielder Kris Bryant

For the “big bat” of the offseason, the average baseball fan may wonder why you would put your most powerful bat (for the Colorado Rockies, that is Kris Bryant) second in the lineup and there’s one main reason: it’s the spot that balances the most RBI and plate appearances.

The “heart of the lineup” has always been considered to be 3-4-5 when, if you look at RBI opportunities and plate appearances, it’s more like 2-3-4. We won’t go into all of the details here but you can learn more about why that’s the case here.

Bryant also has hit most in the two-hole in recent years and it’s the lineup spot where he has hit best and, particularly, with the most power.

3) Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon

The Colorado Rockies are banking on Ryan McMahon (quite literally) to be the power hitter that they saw in the first 65-70 games of 2021.

He was on pace for nearly 40 homers and 100+ RBI in that span so if he hits like that for power, then he will be a great #3 hitter for the team.

You can read more on his first half and his power dropoff in the second half here.