Los Angeles Dodgers: How LA should structure the top of the lineup

4. Justin Turner

The surprising thing here might not be that Justin Turner is hitting cleanup for the Los Angeles Dodgers but that it is not Cody Bellinger. Bellinger is the Dodgers’ best power-hitter and seems like he should have the fourth spot in the order locked down on a daily basis, even against southpaws.

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However, hitting Turner anything farther down the order than fourth would be criminal and the addition of Alex Verdugo slides him down one spot. He might not be the traditional power-hitting cleanup hitter but he is someone who is great with runners on base and can produce runs like a cleanup hitter.

Despite being great at the plate last season Turner’s power numbers did go down and it appears as if his power ceiling in 2019 is 25 home runs. However, having a cleanup hitter that hits both hands and hit .276 with runners in scoring position is going to be great for LA.

It is ironic as well as Turner did not hit fourth a single time in 2018. That should change with the addition of Verdugo and it does not mean that Bellinger won’t get his opportunities. Bellinger will get just as many run-scoring chances hitting fifth as he would hitting fourth and would have another bat to get on base ahead of him in Turner.

Again, it might not be the traditional approach but it is the best approach for the Dodgers. Even though Bellinger gets moved to fifth the Dodgers have four guys to start the order that can all get on base and move runners over.

There is no point in moving one of these guys to the bottom of the order just to maintain the traditional cleanup role.

Plus if Bellinger is struggling against southpaws it opens the door for a right-handed bat to hit fifth instead of having said right-handed bat hit fourth. Enrique Hernandez, Chris Taylor or David Freese would slot in there.

The sixth spot will probably go to Max Muncy against right-handed pitchers and Freese against southpaws. Hernandez and Taylor could occupy the seventh spot with Russell Martin or Austin Barnes hitting eighth.

When it comes to the bottom four, though, the Los Angeles Dodgers can shift it as much as the team wants based on production.