$Predicting The Toronto Blue Jays\' 2016 Opening Day Lineup$

Predicting The Toronto Blue Jays' 2016 Opening Day Lineup

By Brad Faber

In 2015, the Toronto Blue Jays went 93-69 to win the AL East and clinch their first playoff berth since 1993. Going into this season, there may be a few questions about the starting rotation after the subtractions of David Price and Mark Buehrle, but this is still a very good club. Here is a prediction of what the Blue Jays’ lineup might look like on opening day.

$Predicting The Toronto Blue Jays\' 2016 Opening Day Lineup$

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1. Kevin Pillar, CF — In 2015, Kevin Pillar hit a decent .278/.314/.399 with 12 home runs, 56 RBIs and 25 stolen bases. The Blue Jays may not have a true leadoff hitter on their current roster, per se, but Pillar's speed should make him a viable option.

2. Josh Donaldson, 3B — In an AL MVP-award winning season last year, Josh Donaldson hit .297/.371/.568 with 41 homers and 123 RBIs. All in all, 537 of his 620 at-bats came in the No. 2 spot, and he should fit in nicely there once again.

3. Jose Bautista, RF — Entering his age-35 campaign, Jose Bautista is coming off of a season in which he hit .250/.377/.536 with 40 homers and 114 RBIs. Bautista has hit 35-plus homers in four of the past six seasons while never dipping below 27 over that stretch.

4. Troy Tulowitzki, SS — While he may not have had his best season last year, Troy Tulowitzki still hit a combined .280/.337/.440 with 17 homers and 70 RBIs with the Colorado Rockies and Blue Jays in 2015. It will be interesting to see if Tulowitzki can stay healthy during his first full year in Toronto and get back to his .300 batting average, 25-plus homer form.

5. Chris Colabello, 1B — After playing with the Minnesota Twins in 2013 and 2014, Chris Colabello caught on with the Blue Jays' organization prior to the beginning of last year and went on to hit .321/.367/.520 with 15 homers and 54 RBIs in 101 games. A former independent league player, Colabello is truly one of baseball's great stories.

6. Justin Smoak, DH — While Edwin Encarnacion would normally occupy either the first base or DH slot, he has been dealing with an oblique injury this spring. If Encarnacion isn't ready to go by opening day, Justin Smoak would be a good candidate to fill in. Smoak hit .226/.299/.470 with 18 homers and 59 RBIs for the Blue Jays last year.

7. Russell Martin, C — In his first year after signing a reported five-year, $82 million deal, Russell Martin hit .240/.329/.458 with 23 homers and 77 RBIs. The now 33-year-old catcher remains a great player on both sides of the ball.

8. Michael Saunders, LF — After being limited to a mere nine games last season, Michael Saunders has hit .320/.393/.720 with three homers and nine RBIs this spring. Saunders has never exactly put up huge numbers, but he does have speed and double-digit home run pop. He was quite productive for the Seattle Mariners between 2012-14 as well, posting an OPS+ of 111.

9. Ryan Goins, 2B — With Devon Travis reportedly sidelined until May or longer, Ryan Goins should serve as a capable fill-in during his absence. Goins hit a decent .250/.318/.354 with five homers and 45 RBIs last year, and he has had good defensive metrics.

Marcus Stroman, P — With Price now a member of the Boston Red Sox, Marcus Stroman appears poised to step into the role of the Blue Jays' ace. Stroman, who had a great rookie season in 2014, missed most of last year with a torn ACL, but later returned to go 4-0 with a 1.67 ERA in four starts. He was 1-0 with a 4.19 ERA in three postseason starts.

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