Would the Carolina Panthers Make a Good Baseball Team?

Which current Panthers' players would shine on the diamond?

The smell of peanuts and Cracker Jacks fill the air as we inch closer to Major League Baseball's Opening Day. The Carolinas do not currently have an MLB team to call their own, although they do host quite a few minor league teams. Maybe one day David Tepper will bring a pro baseball team to the Queen City but for now we will just have to field our own starting nine using our talented Carolina Panthers' roster.

Here's a look at who we would start on our baseball team:

Teddy Bridgewater, SP

QB Teddy Bridgewater as our Opening Day starting pitcher was the clear choice. Teddy might not hit 100 MPH on the gun but we think he could get some outs. He excels on the football field in the short passing game and a pitcher's mound is just 20 yards away from home plate. Perhaps the most consistent attribute about Teddy is his accuracy, so he should be able to throw a lot of strikes. Expect opposing hitters to put the ball in play but that's okay because we've got athletes all over the field. 

Brian Burns, C

The logical choice would probably be to put a WR at catcher but I think DE Brian Burns is versatile enough to play behind the plate. He is used to being in the squat because he lines up in a three-point stance more often than not on the football field. I also think he wouldn't be afraid to get dirty should he have to block some pitches just incase Teddy throws some in the dirt. Catcher is arguably the toughest position in baseball and Burns is as tough as they come. As for the lineup, I would bat him fourth in the order. He just looks like he'd be a great power hitter batting cleanup. 

Robby Anderson, 1B

At 6-foot-3, WR Robby Anderson has the perfect body type for first base. He is athletic enough to come off the bag and make tough catches if the infield makes an errant throw. I'd bat him in the two spot because he has the skillset of a good contact hitter that could steal some bases if he gets on.

Donte Jackson, 2B

CB Donte Jackson is exactly the kind of athlete I want in my middle infield. He's used to back peddling and being quick on his feet. The throw from second to first is a short one so I'm not too concerned about his lack of practice passing the ball. I'd bat him eighth in the order.

Christian McCaffrey, SS

Shortstop should feature your most athletic player and that's RB Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey can cover some ground, which is exactly what you need in the middle of the diamond. CMC also has a 50-yard touchdown pass to his name so we know he can make the difficult throw from short. I think he is the ideal lead-off hitter because once he gets on he is a lock to wreak havoc on the base paths.

Will Grier, 3B

We need a strong arm to make the throw from third to first which is the main reason I put QB Will Grier here. Also, he just has a baseball look to him with the beard and long hair. Kind of like a Brandon Crawford. I'd bat him ninth in the order to try to get things going for CMC in the leadoff spot.

Jeremy Chinn, LF

If there's one player that could play anywhere on the field it's LB Jeremy Chinn. I'd put him in left field to start the game because he can track the ball and cover some ground. He'd be great in the five spot following Burns batting cleanup.

DJ Moore, CF

WR DJ Moore looks like he was born to play center field. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad he chose football. He has the speed and athleticism to make all the tough catches. I'd bat him third in the order to drive in CMC and Robby Anderson.

David Moore, RF

We fill out the last outfield spot with another solid pass-catcher in WR David Moore. Moore spent the past four seasons catching bombs from Seahawks' quarterback Russell Wilson giving him practice tracking pop ups. He'd fill in the seventh spot in the order.

Derrick Brown, DH

DT Derrick Brown would strike fear in opposing pitchers. At 6-foot-5, 320 pounds he'd easily be the biggest player on the diamond. He'd be our version of Frank Thomas, the man they called "the Big Hurt". Brown is used to hurting players on the football field so the nickname would suit him as well. He'd bat sixth.

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