Red Sox 2011 lineup: What should it be?

The 2011 Red Sox are stacked, but this plethora of talent presents a problem: how to make a lineup that maximizes their potential.

The subject of the Red Sox 2011 lineup has come up in several discussions with friends in recent days, and there hasn't been much agreement. So here I'm going to spell out what my Red Sox 2011 lineup would be, and why.

Leadoff
The natural inclination is to go with Jacoby Ellsbury or Carl Crawford here, because of their speed. But Crawford didn't lead off in Tampa Bay, and Ellsbury is a question mark because of his injuries last year. Will he be able to return to his pre-2010 form? Quite possibly, but do you want to find out by taking away at-bats from the other monsters in the lineup? That's why my pick at the top of the Red Sox 2011 lineup is Dustin Pedroia. He actually has a better career on-base percentage than Ellsbury and Crawford, as well as decent speed (20 swipes in both 2009 and 2008).

The 2 spot
With the Laser Show leading off, Carl Crawford is the easy pick for the 2 spot. Crawford typically hit in the 2 or 3 spots in Tampa Bay, but his unspectacular power numbers don't make him a strong candidate for the 3 spot in the Red Sox 2011 lineup. Plus, slotting him here gives the Sox a righty-lefty combo at the top of the order.

3-4-5
Here's where things get scary. Continuing the righty-lefty theme, you put Kevin Youkilis in the third spot. He's always good for an OBP around .400, a batting average in the .300 neighborhood and about 25 dingers. That's exactly what you want in this spot. And you can only expect those numbers to go up with Adrian Gonzalez batting cleanup behind him. The lefty has hit more than 30 home runs in each of the past four seasons, so he's a natural fit. I'd go with David Ortiz next, even though it screws up the righty-lefty thing. (What, you're gonna put career .248 hitted Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the five hole?) Ortiz isn't the intimidating clutch hitter he was a few years back, but he's still averaged 28 homers a year over the past three seasons. Pitchers will not be looking forward to this stretch of the lineup.

6-7-8
This section of the Red Sox 2011 lineup is slightly concerning. I'm worried there will be a lot of innings where Gonzalez and/or Big Papi lead off with base hits, only to get stranded by these three hitters. In the sixth spot, J.D. Drew doesn't inspire much confidence, although it is his contract year, so maybe he'll actually live up to his potential for a full season. Next up is Marco Scutaro, to end the string of lefties, followed by Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Did I catch a niner in there?
That leaves Jacoby Ellsbury to bat ninth, but it's not because he's the last person left. This is a strategic move. Putting him ninth effectively makes him the leadoff hitter, but it skips him in the first inning, so the big boys get more at bats. It also puts less pressure on Ellsbury as he tries to win the fans back after last year.

So there's my Red Sox 2011 lineup. What do you think?