The Lansing Lugnuts' All-Time Starting Lineup

This is going to be debatable. We invite that.

Here's what we did: We chose a five-man starting rotation and a starting nine plus a designated hitter out of the 804 total players who've ever suited for the Lugnuts dating back to 1996.

Caveat: With one big exception, these players were not chosen based on how they played in Lansing. The Lugnuts serve the important purpose of being a Minor League affiliate, preparing and developing players for Major League success. How a player ends up succeeding figures mightily into how they're perceived.

Still, we welcome all disagreements! Send in your own all-time Lugnuts lineups to [email protected].

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Catcher: Danny Jansen, 2015. Danny's time was limited in Lansing to 46 games due to a couple of injuries, but he has since blossomed as the Blue Jays hoped. He enters 2020 as the Jays' No. 1 catcher.
Worth arguing for: Yan Gomes, Matt Treanor, Robinson Chirinos (infielder in Lansing, catcher in the Majors)

First Base: Brian Dopirak, 2003-2004. Brian is the only player on this list never to make the Major Leagues... but on the other hand, his 39 home runs in 2004 remains the Midwest League's single season record. He still owns the Lugnuts' single season records for most games (137), hits (166), RBIs (120), total bases (321), and extra-base hits (77).
Worth arguing for: Hee-Seop Choi, 2015 MWL MVP Ryan McBroom, Rowdy Tellez

Second Base: Ryan Theriot, 2002-2003. The Riot began the 2003 season with the eventual Midwest League champions. He ended his nine-year Major League career with the 2011 World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals and 2012 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants, scoring the championship-winning run in his final tour around the bases in the Major Leagues.
Worth arguing for: Carlos Febles, Ryan Goins, Cavan Biggio - but we'll get to him later.

Third Base: Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., 2017. At the age of 18, Vladdy Jr. reached base in his first 29 games, caught a first pitch from his dad on Father's Day, put on a memorable show in the Midwest League All-Star Game Home Run Derby, excelled in the MLB Futures Game, and is now (along with Bo) the future of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Worth arguing for: Maybe Casey McGehee? Probably not, though.

Shortstop: Bo Bichette, 2017. Bo put forth one of the great half-seasons for any player in Midwest League history, collecting 40 hits in 22 games in June before he was promoted to the Florida State League in July with a .384 batting average and a 1.071 OPS. Last year he reached the Major Leagues and promptly doubled in his first nine games to set a new MLB record.
Worth arguing for: You really want to argue against Bo?

Outfield: Carlos Beltran, 1996. A member of the inaugural Lugnuts Opening Day lineup, Carlos played only 11 games in Lansing before an injury sent him back to camp. Three years later, he was the American League Most Valuable Player, on his way to nine All-Star Games, three Gold Gloves, and two Silver Sluggers awards.

Outfield: Jake Marisnick, 2010-2011. The heart of the 2011 Eastern Division champions, Jake excelled offensively and defensively for the Lugnuts, hitting .320 with 47 extra-base hits and 37 steals. Then he was traded to the Marlins, traded to the Astros, and most recently, traded to the New York Mets, where he has the opportunity for a full-time role this season.

Outfield: Kevin Pillar, 2012. Pillar went from being a 32nd-round pick out of Division II Cal State Dominguez Hills to Midwest League Most Valuable Player to a highlight magnet nicknamed "Superman" in the Major Leagues -- what a rise! He enters his first year in Boston this season.
Worth arguing for: Corey Patterson, Travis Snider.

Utility: Cavan Biggio, 2016. Want to impress your friends? Ask them to name the first game that Cavan, Bo Bichette, and Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. were in the same starting lineup. The answer: The 2016 Crosstown Showdown between the Lugnuts and the Michigan State Spartans.
Worth arguing for: Tim Locastro, Jon Berti, Ronny Cedeño, Jeremy Giambi.

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*Pitcher: Rich Hill, 2003.** There aren't too many Michigan Wolverines to play for the Lugnuts, but the man nicknamed -- well, you know his nickname -- was one of them. Hill struck out 50 batters in 29 1/3 innings with the Nuts, en route to a 15-year Major League career entering 2020.

Pitcher: Noah Syndergaard, 2011-2012. The man now called Thor was a dominating teenage presence at Cooley Law School Stadium. Traded to the Mets after the 2012 season, he was a National League All-Star in 2016 and then started on back-to-back Opening Days in 2017 and 2018.

Pitcher: Carlos Zambrano, 1999. A teenage workhorse in Lansing, Big Z pitched 12 years in the Major Leagues and was named to three National All-Star teams and won three Silver Sluggers as one of the best hitting pitchers of his generation. (He belted 24 career homers in the Majors!)

Pitcher: Matthew Boyd, 2013. Matt joined the Nuts for his pro debut after the Blue Jays drafted him out of Oregon State. He gave up one run in 14 innings and was promptly promoted. After breaking out in 2014 and 2015, he was traded to the Detroit Tigers, where he was the best starter in their rotation last year.

Pitcher: Aaron Sanchez, 2011-2012. Aaron allowed just two earned runs in his first 38 innings in 2012. Four years later, he went 15-2, led the league with a 3.00 earned run average and a 0.7 HR/9-IP rate, and was named an American League All-Star.

Worth arguing for: Anthony DeSclafani, Ryan Borucki, Jason Simontacchi, Henderson Alvarez.