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The lineup: Heart of the matter

2008 TWINS PREVIEW The sequence of Joe Mauer, Michael Cuddyer, Justin Morneau and Delmon Young has a nice ring to it.

By JIM SOUHAN, Star Tribune

Last update: March 29, 2008 - 3:31 PM

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2008 TWINS SEASON PREVIEW THE RANKING GAME

BEST OF THE CENTRAL: Where do the Twins fit into the new-look AL Central?

JIM SOUHAN: The Twins will find it tough to even reach a third-place finish.

LINEUPS: Which team packs the most punch at the plate?

PITCHING: The Indians are loaded with talent on the mound.

MANAGERS: Where does Gardy rank?

FRONT OFFICES: Bill Smith embarks on his first season as Twins GM.

DOWN ON THE FARM: Do the Twins still own the top prospects?

BASEBALL TOWN: Patrick Reusse weighs in on Central cities.

AMERICAN LEAGUE: Even the champs have some new faces.

NATIONAL LEAGUE: The Mets are holding an ace.

THE TWINS: Five questions and more.

More from Twins

FORT MYERS, FLA. — This will be an unusual Twins team. When the Twins have been good this decade, their success has been based on pitching depth or excellence. The 2008 Twins will rely on the heart of the order to produce enough runs to overcome questionable starting pitching.

That could make this an entertaining season. It is unlikely to make this a successful season, because the Twins' middle-of-the-order production might be matched or surpassed by the favorites in the suddenly powerful American League Central.

While the leadoff position could be in flux for much of this year, the Twins have settled on the hitters who will man the middle of the order: Joe Mauer batting second, likely followed by Michael Cuddyer, Justin Morneau, Delmon Young, then Jason Kubel or Craig Monroe.

This is a promising bunch. Mauer's on-base percentage, batting eye and ability to spray the ball make him, at least theoretically, an ideal No. 2 hitter. Cuddyer is not a prototypical No. 3 hitter, but when the Twins put together their four-month miracle in 2006, their lineup was more productive than it was logical. Comfort matters to ballplayers, and Cuddyer probably will feel comfortable batting between Mauer and Morneau.

Morneau is the Twins' best cleanup hitter since Harmon Killebrew. The Twins believe Young will offer Morneau protection in the lineup, even though many of the best statistical analysts believe "protection'' is an overrated or negligible concept. One thing is for sure: Young's penchant for swinging aggressively will be more suited to the No. 5 hole than the No. 3 hole, where on-base percentage should be more important.

Then comes Monroe or Kubel -- the former a player trying to prove he can bounce back from a horrific season, the latter a talented young hitter considered the equal of Mauer and Morneau when he was in the minors.

So the middle of the Twins order offers a combination of patience, power and promise, and includes the three players (Mauer, Cuddyer and Morneau) the Twins have signed through the opening of the new stadium in 2010.

They're good, but are they as good as the competition? And isn't that what matters in the era of imbalanced schedules, when the Twins will face the Tigers and Indians in almost a quarter of their games?

When healthy, the Detroit Tigers might field the most fearsome lineup in baseball: Curtis Granderson, Placido Polanco, Gary Sheffield, Magglio Ordonez, Miguel Cabrera, Carlos Guillen, Edgar Renteria, Ivan Rodriguez and Jacque Jones.

That last name might give Twins fans the best perspective on the 2008 Tigers. Jones batted at the top of the order when the Twins started making the playoffs again in 2002. For the Tigers, he bats ninth and might not play every day.

Sheffield is old and injury-prone. If he stays healthy, though, this is a deep and frightening lineup, and it will be difficult for any two Twins to match the run production expected from Ordonez and Cabrera.

The middle of the Twins order compares better with the Indians. Travis Hafner is likely to rebound after a subpar year, and Victor Martinez could be an MVP candidate, but Cleveland's lineup lacks Detroit's depth. If the Twins get big years from Morneau and Young, they could have the edge over Cleveland in this area.

"Obviously, Detroit's got the best,'' Cuddyer said. "I mean, you've not only got guys who have hit 30 home runs, but guys who have hit .360. They're the benchmark.

"But I think we compare pretty well with everyone else in the division. Cleveland has Martinez and Hafner. Chicago has proven guys like Jermaine Dye, Paul Konerko, Jim Thome. But you look at our lineup, and we've got Delmon, who had 93 RBI last year and is getting better. You've got a past MVP, in Justin, who averages 30 homers and 100 RBI. I've averaged 90 RBI and 90 runs the last couple of years. Mauer is a batting champ.

"I think we match up well with the other teams, and I think this is definitely a strength for us.''

It had better be.

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