Could Marc Krauss Be the Astros Opening Day Clean Up Hitter?

In case you didn’t know, Marc Krauss is tearing the cover off of the ball this spring.

In his first eight games of spring, Krauss is 8 for 22 with two home runs. This is the kind of surprise performance the Astros desperately needed to happen. If he can keep this up, he could easily make some guys on this roster expendable. Take a look at the lineup for Friday, March 14:

1. Fowler – CF

2. Altuve – 2B

3. Castro – C

4. Krauss – LF

5. Carter – DH

6. Singleton – 1B

7. Springer – RF

8. Dominguez – 3B

9. Villar – SS

With Marc Krauss on fire, this could be a huge upgrade over what would have been the Opening Day lineup. This could very well be a preview of what the lineup will look like mid-season. In this case, Robbie Grossman becomes the fourth outfielder. I think it could be a while before we see Singleton in Houston, so it’s more likely we’ll see Grossman in left and Krauss at first for a good portion of the season. Chris Carter‘s high strikeout numbers make him a much better fit for the five hole. His ability to play first base makes Bo Porter able to give Castro a rest at DH while keeping both their bats in the lineup. If Marc can continue to hit like this, he will be a definite upgrade in the four hole over Chris Carter. If this lineup becomes formidable, L.J. Hoes and Jesus Guzman become bench players or even trade bait. This is an excellent breakthrough in the roster, and another example of the genius mind of Jeff Luhnow.

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