How the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup should look in 2018

6. Andrew Toles/Matt Kemp— LF

In the sixth slot of the lineup, the Dodgers should have their only true split platoon. Don’t get me wrong, certain players with need days off and Dave Roberts will favor others in certain matchups. However, on Opening Day the only platoon that should be set in place is in left field; Andrew Toles against right-handers, Matt Kemp against left-handers.

That means that Kemp would actually be in the starting lineup on Opening Day, in his Dodgers return, to square off against Madison Bumgarner. Overall, Kemp brings the power side of this platoon without being a headache in the field on an everyday basis.

Kemp is still, by all accounts, a good hitter at the MLB level. Last season Kemp hit .276 with 19 home runs and 64 RBIs in 115 games played. Although he struggled last season, throughout his career Kemp is a .319 hitter against southpaws.

Then there is Toles, who naturally will get more starts as he is facing right-handed opposition. Toles has been a huge surprise for the Dodgers with the mix of speed, sneaky power and a great arm in the field. While Toles’ 2017 was cut short, he still hit .271 with five home runs and 15 RBIs in 31 games.

Average that out to 120 games and Toles would have slugged over 20 home runs and driven in more than 60 RBIs.