“Thor” batting 8th? Here is the interesting 2018 Opening Day lineup for the Mets

A new chapter for the Mets begins as Opening Day has arrived. Manager Mickey Callaway is pulling out all the stops to show this team operates differently than the past regime. One method he is pulling is the metric side of baseball, something Terry Collins did not embrace as much during his tenure with the team.

Here is a look at the 2018 Opening Day lineup for the Mets. It may just be something that’s not a one-time thing.

1. Brandon Nimmo, CF
2. Yoenis Cespedes, LF
3. Jay Bruce, RF
4. Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B
5. Todd Frazier, 3B
6. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
7. Kevin Plawecki, C
8. Noah Syndergaard, P
9. Amed Rosario, SS

There are a few things you can immediately notice when looking at this roster. For one thing, Noah Syndergaard is hitting eighth, while Amed Rosario and Brandon Nimmo, the teams fastest hitters, are both at the bottom and top of the lineup. Speaking to the media, Callaway discussed the move as a way to help the young Rosario.

“It takes a little pressure off Rosario. Hitting in front of the pitcher can be a hard thing sometimes because guys will pitch around you, bury breaking balls, things like that. Those are just a couple of the reasons why. But we feel it makes a lot of sense.”

As stated above, Mickey’s tinkering with the lineup may end up being something that sticks. All eyes will be on the this Joe Maddon-like move to see how effective it could be.

Don’t forget, a pitcher like Syndergaard can hit, making his bat needed anywhere in the lineup.

Batting Yoenis Cespedes second and Jay Bruce third helps cement a clear batting order, especially with a position player batting ninth. More opportunities for RBIs could be around the corner. Past history has shown that the power bat in the early part of the lineup can produce. Think Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge last season. A healthy Cespedes could hit anywhere and technically could hit third during a given inning. And if he just hits a bloop single? The opponent will have to worry about Bruce.

Another potentially permanent move is having Kevin Plawecki as Syndergaard’s catcher. After an impressive outing in Spring Training, Plawecki is looking to take the catchers job as his own. Will he produce more based on where he is in the lineup? Callaway will have to give Travis d’Arnaud a shot as well to test that theory.

Today’s game against the Cardinals starts at 1:10 p.m. ET. “Thor” and the cavalry are ready, will you be?