- Thread starter
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Darkstone42
Oh.
Now that Polanco is up, the position players are more or less set for the season, barring a move to bring in another first baseman, which seems unlikely. So what do you think the lineup should be?
Lineup optimization suggests that McCutchen should bat second, and in general, I agree with that, but batting him third and leaving Marte in the two spot might prove to be a significant boost to the latter, since he mashes the fastball and doesn't do so well on breaking pitches, at least by the eyeball test. Batting Marte between Polanco and McCutchen should get Marte a lot of fastballs to hit, which would allow his contact skill to really shine.
If Marte figures out how to hit everything consistently, he and McCutchen could be flipped, but for now, I think the benefit to Marte batting between Polanco and McCutchen outweighs the lineup optimization effect.
For cleanup, I would probably go with either Davis/Sanchez or Walker, then bat the other fifth. Especially in Davis's case, since he's so selective, and doesn't have a great contact skill on pitches on the edges, I think the only way he gets a chance to drive the ball and use his power is to have someone behind him who pitchers fear a little bit, and with the season Walker is having, he could be that guy. Gaby against lefties, though, is pretty close to a typical cleanup hitter, since he absolutely mashes them, especially the past couple years. And with Davis batting ahead of Walker, Walker should get plenty of RBI chances, since he'll have three guys with great on-base skills and another solid hitter in front of him.
Sixth should be Martin, since Alvarez is simply too inconsistent, and his splits are too drastic. I don't really like shuffling people around in the lineup too much based on the handedness of the pitcher, and I don't like the idea of allowing the other team to change things on us with their bullpen. Alvarez can bat seventh, and Mercer eighth.
Since Harrison's been so fantastic this year, though, I'd also look to get him a few starts per week, and he'd be my first pinch-hitter. Since Harrison can play anywhere, and since he seems to understand situational hitting and is a solid baserunner, I don't think it matters where in the lineup he hits. Just slot him wherever the guy he's spelling hits. When Tabata gets a start (I assume he'll be retained over Snider, both for the contract situation and because he's simply a better all-around player), he should bat down a bit, probably seventh, and the lineup adjusted accordingly. Stewart bats eighth when he starts, and Alvarez and Mercer move up accordingly.
So I guess my proposal is this:
Polanco
Marte
McCutchen
Davis/Sanchez
Walker
Martin
Alvarez
Mercer
Lineup optimization suggests that McCutchen should bat second, and in general, I agree with that, but batting him third and leaving Marte in the two spot might prove to be a significant boost to the latter, since he mashes the fastball and doesn't do so well on breaking pitches, at least by the eyeball test. Batting Marte between Polanco and McCutchen should get Marte a lot of fastballs to hit, which would allow his contact skill to really shine.
If Marte figures out how to hit everything consistently, he and McCutchen could be flipped, but for now, I think the benefit to Marte batting between Polanco and McCutchen outweighs the lineup optimization effect.
For cleanup, I would probably go with either Davis/Sanchez or Walker, then bat the other fifth. Especially in Davis's case, since he's so selective, and doesn't have a great contact skill on pitches on the edges, I think the only way he gets a chance to drive the ball and use his power is to have someone behind him who pitchers fear a little bit, and with the season Walker is having, he could be that guy. Gaby against lefties, though, is pretty close to a typical cleanup hitter, since he absolutely mashes them, especially the past couple years. And with Davis batting ahead of Walker, Walker should get plenty of RBI chances, since he'll have three guys with great on-base skills and another solid hitter in front of him.
Sixth should be Martin, since Alvarez is simply too inconsistent, and his splits are too drastic. I don't really like shuffling people around in the lineup too much based on the handedness of the pitcher, and I don't like the idea of allowing the other team to change things on us with their bullpen. Alvarez can bat seventh, and Mercer eighth.
Since Harrison's been so fantastic this year, though, I'd also look to get him a few starts per week, and he'd be my first pinch-hitter. Since Harrison can play anywhere, and since he seems to understand situational hitting and is a solid baserunner, I don't think it matters where in the lineup he hits. Just slot him wherever the guy he's spelling hits. When Tabata gets a start (I assume he'll be retained over Snider, both for the contract situation and because he's simply a better all-around player), he should bat down a bit, probably seventh, and the lineup adjusted accordingly. Stewart bats eighth when he starts, and Alvarez and Mercer move up accordingly.
So I guess my proposal is this:
Polanco
Marte
McCutchen
Davis/Sanchez
Walker
Martin
Alvarez
Mercer