Chicago Cubs: Joe Maddon’s Lineup Construction is More Simple Than Meets the Eye

The Chicago Cubs lineup may seem unorthodox, but the idea benefit of it is extremely simple.

Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon is an extremely creative in-game manager. A bit of a “mad scientist” if you will. Maddon is not afraid to try different things just to see if they work. He will put a reliever in left field, swap his first and second baseman to defend a bunt or play his star third baseman in center field if it helps the Cubs win games.

Maddon’s decision to place slugger Kyle Schwarber at the top of the Cubs’ batting order to start the season is looked at as one of those wacky kind of moves.

Schwarber is a traditional left-handed slugger with elite raw power. He does have the on-base ability of a traditional leadoff hitter, but he is far from a speed demon at the top of the order. We are used to seeing a guy like Schwarber in the middle of the order and seeing him penciled in at the top is kind of odd.

That being said, this is just Maddon constructing his lineup in the simplest way imaginable. Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist and Schwarber are the Cubs’ best offensive weapons. Each has a well-rounded skill set that will help create runs for the Cubs no matter where they are hitting.

At least to start the 2017 season, the Cubs appear primed to have Schwarber lead off, followed by Bryant, Rizzo and Zobrist. This is simply just Maddon trying to get the most out of his best hitters.

Next: 2017 Cubs Roster Preview: Position-By-Position Breakdown

Hitting at the top of the order obviously gives the batter a better chance of seeing more at-bats than the other hitters. Why wouldn’t Maddon want to give his best offensive weapons the most opportunities to do damage?

Placing Schwarber at the top allows the Chicago Cubs to get the most out of their everyday lineup. It may seem odd at first, but this is simply Maddon looking to give his best hitters more opportunities than the rest.