I dont know if anyone here listens to the ESPN Baseball Today Podcast, but yesterday Keith Law was saying that research has shown that the most effective spot to bat your best hitter is #2 (instead of #3), and then your second best hitter #4, being the #2 preferably the guy with better OBP and speed and the #4 the one with less OBP but with more power. Some of the reasoning behind it is that 1. you might increase the amount of ABs your best hitter gets having him #2 2. if the leadoff is an out, you have him hitting on more comfortable situation in the first inning (1 out, none on instead of 2 outs, none on) 3. you want your second best hitter leading off the 2nd inning OR coming on in the first inning with a runner on he also mentioned that the leadoff needs to be a high OBP guy (but we all know that) it got me thinking, is Kemp's best place to hit #2? should the lineup be Mark Ellis (not the best OBP, but what other option we have?) Kemp Ethier A-Gone Hanley Crawford Cruz AJ
depends who's leading off if you've got a base stealer like dee then your #2 needs to be able to take some pitches Law's hypothesis may based on #2 hitters getting good pitches with the #3 on deck
Don won't go for it. There is a myth that Crawford is a great leadoff hitter, and he'll never put the two big lefties back-to-back, even though Gonzo hits lefties better than righties.
Crawford was actually very vocal in Boston about not wanting to lead off. I don't think he's lead off regularly in 5 years.
I hope Don takes it into consideration, because he is not a lead off hitter. And all the projected lineups coming from Dodger camp have Carl leading off.
no, his argument (not hypothesis as he said there's studies that prove it) was about the situation in where the hitter comes to the plate... he's a big advocate that there's no such thing as lineup protection (I dont agree on that one, but oh well)... his argument is that you want your #2 in a situation of less than 2 outs so is a better condition to work on getting on base, and that, at least on the first inning, you make sure your 4th hitter comes to the plate with a runner on... its all about the stats oriented lineup construction vs the so called "old school" lineup construction, where the leadoff HAS to be someone with speed and the 2nd bat has to be someone who can bunt over the runner... he hates guys, like Jim Tracy and Dusty, who write their lineup based on that mentality...
I feel like this is the lineup Mattingly will go with. 1. Ellis 2. Ethier (swap with Crawford against LHP) 3. Kemp 4. Gonzo 5. Hanley 6. Crawford 7. Cruz 8. Ellis
why would you replace a LHB who cant hit LHP for another LHB who cant hit LHP??? I guess CC is less awful than Ethier in that department, but both are pretty bad...
I wouldn't be surprised at all if that's what Don does. Edit: Actually, Crawford is worse against LHP than Ethier is lol. Mattingly has his hands full when the opposition starts a lefty.
If you're going to be a MLB hitter (and get payed like an elite one), you need to learn how to hit all types of pitchers. Fucking annoying.
Yes it is. Funny thing is that Ethier racked Lefties when he 1st appeared on the scene and it was well noted. Then he forgot somehow how to hit them, and then this last season he hit them well, and then competely lost his mind yet again.
I read a stat that said it wasn't the LHSPs that Ethier was having problems with, it was the lefty relievers (which is understandable IMO; those guys are paid to get lefties out with crazy ass sidearm motions).
I get what he's saying but I don't agree with it if the #1 and #2 hitters do their job, then the #3 hitter will come up with at least one runner on the fact that he doesn't believe in lineup protection says a lot
and Loney overall racked when he 1st appeared... funny how things change... I think Ethier can hit lefties, it might be more an approach thing...
