You make the play - Set the batting order Topic

I thought some of you might enjoy this exercise. It's been a challenging one for me all season.
 
This is the 2013 season in a progressive. I've been playing progressives for years, and I don't remember a time when I've had a team more trouble coming up with a lineup that makes sense. 100 games in and it hasn't gotten any easier.
 
With low PA, clearly some platoons are needed, but if everyone was at 100%, who would be your starters, and what order would you bat them? These are the real life stats. Secondary D-/D- positions were ignored. I'm in Comerica Park.

EDIT: I'm in the AL, so I do need a DH.

After I get some responses, I'll post the order I've been using most.
 
  PA AVG/OBP/SLG HR SB FLD
Yadier Molina 541 .319/.359/.477  12 3 C: A/A-/A+
Ryan Hanigan 260 .198/.306/.261 2 0 C: A+/A/A+
Allen Craig 563 .315/.373/.457 13 2 1B: A+/C
OF: A+/D-
Adam LaRoche 590 .237/.332/.403 20 4 1B: C/C-
Juan Uribe 426 .278/.331/.438 12 5 1B: A+/D
3B: A/C
Donie Murphy 163 .255/.319/.530 11 2 3B: B-/D+
Eric Sogard 410 .266/.322/.364 2 10 2B: B/C,
SS: C/D+
Andrelton Simmons 658 .248/.296/.396 17 6 SS: A/A+
DJ LeMahieu 434 .280/.311/.361 2 18 1B: A+/D+
2B: A/B 
3B: B+/B-
SS: D+/D-
Michael Bourn 575 .263/.316/.360 6 23 OF: B+/B-
Jason Heyward 440 .254/.349/.427 14 2 OF: A+/B-
Seth Smith 410 .253/.329/.391 8 0 OF: A+/C+
Will Venable 515 .268/.312/.484 22 22 OF: B+/C-
Ryan Sweeney 212 .266/.324/.448 6 1 OF: A/A
 
8/26/2014 6:55 PM (edited)
Bourn
Venable
Heyward
Laroche
Craig(dh)
Molina
Uribe
Lemahieu
Simmons


8/26/2014 6:53 PM (edited)
I like that the first two responses have exactly NOBODY in the same spot as each other. I'd be interested to hear the reasoning behind your choices.

I forgot to mention that I am in the AL with a DH.
8/26/2014 6:50 PM
edited for dh

totally "hunch" manager here, lol
8/26/2014 6:54 PM
Order Name OBP SLG POS
1 Heyward 0.349 0.427 CF A+/B-
2 Craig 0.373 0.457 DH
3 Molina 0.359 0.477 C A/A-/A+
4 Venable 0.312 0.484 RF B+/C
5 Uribe 0.331 0.438 3B A/C
6 LaRoche 0.332 0.403 1B C/C-
7 Smith 0.329 0.391 LF A+/C+
8 Simmons 0.296 0.396 SS A/A+
9 LeMahieu 0.311 0.361 2B A/B
8/29/2014 10:59 AM (edited)
Hanigan backs up Molina at C
Murphy backs up Uribe at 3B
Sogard backs up LaMahieu at 2B
Sweeney backs up Heyward at CF
Bourn is the back up at LF and RF
8/29/2014 5:44 PM (edited)
1. Heyward RF
2. Craig 1B
3. Molina C
4. Murphy DH
5. Venable LF
6. Sweeney CF
7. Uribe 3B
8. Lemahieu 2B
9. Simmons SS
8/27/2014 9:35 AM
Thanks for everyone's thoughts on the lineup. It's interesting to see how very differently people handle it. Uncleal picked the lineup that's closest to what I've been doing. Here's what I've been running most recently:

1. RF Bourne
2. C Molina
3. 1B Craig
4. DH Venable
5. CF Heyward
6. LF Smith
7. 2B Sogard
8. 3B Uribe
9. SS Simmons

I figured I didn't really have a classic leadoff guy, so I went with the best baserunner, even though he had a low OBP. Molina and Craig are the best two pure hitters, so they are a bit of a toss-up for #2 & #3. Venable has the best slugging of any full-time player. Heyward and Uribe had the next two best slugging - Heyward won the spot for having a better OBP. Smith and Uribe were reversed earlier in the season, but Uribe's been underperforming something terrible, while Smith has managed a .303 average thus far, so I caved and switched them. Sogard has been my main 2B, preferring to leave the more flexible LeMaheiu on the bench for pinch hitting and playing passable defense anywhere in the infield. Simmons has to be in the lineup for his glove, but early in the season, he was leading in homers and RBIs, while batting in the .230's. He only this week got passed by Heyward. It felt strange having my HR and RBI leader batting 9th, but a .230/.270/.400 line kept him there. 

For a long time, I had LaRoche playing DH and batting 5 or 6, but his line keeps hovering around .235/.330/.385 and has only hit 12 homers, so I finally relegated him to a reserve role. If Venable, Craig, or any of the OF get tired, he comes in to 1st or DH, perhaps moving Craig to the OF. I've been platooning Murphy at 3B against lefties, and that's seemed to keep him 98-100%. Sweeney has become a last resort OF, as his good glove isn't that much better than my current OF, and his bat has been abysmal - currently batting .198. 

While it's been a challenge, tinkering to find the best lineup has been fun!
8/28/2014 11:13 PM (edited)
u have Heyward at 1 and 5, CF and RF............
8/28/2014 7:19 PM
Posted by ncmusician_7 on 8/28/2014 7:19:00 PM (view original):
u have Heyward at 1 and 5, CF and RF............
He's that good.

#1 should have been Bourne at RF. Heyward #5 in CF.
8/28/2014 11:13 PM
That's pretty detailed stuff...but it sounds like he would be happy with batting Molina at #2
8/29/2014 4:36 PM
You make the play - Set the batting order Topic

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