Murderer's Row---2018 Style

[bosoxmal]

There was a tme when the Big Three hit 3rd, 4th and 5th in the BO. Now it;s Betts, Benintendi, xxx and Martizex one row four. I notice many other teams have batting orders set a similar way also. Trend or fad?

[vegasbob]

There was a tme when the Big Three hit 3rd, 4th and 5th in the BO. Now it;s Betts, Benintendi, xxx and Martizex one row four. I notice many other teams have batting orders set a similar way also. Trend or fad?

Managing by analytics does it. If analytics produced distinct advantages , it can only do so over a large sample such as a full season. If all teams applied the numbers equally and similarly in their strategies and tactics, most team would end up around .500. In fact, a few teams with superior players have and will continue to dominate the poorer teams who will always be rebuilding and feeding the fat boys to the top of the food chain, like the old KC A's and Yankee symbiosis in the 50's.

[Kimmi]

There was a tme when the Big Three hit 3rd, 4th and 5th in the BO. Now it;s Betts, Benintendi, xxx and Martizex one row four. I notice many other teams have batting orders set a similar way also. Trend or fad?

As teams and managers become more analytics oriented, traditional line ups are becoming a thing of the past.

The numbers say that a team should not put its best hitter 3rd. The 3 best hitters should go in the #1, 2, and 4 spots, with #1 leaning more heavily towards OBP and #4 leaning more heavily towards slugging. The #5 slot ends up being more important than the #3 slot.

So says The Armchair!

[kenmeister]

But ... why? How is it possible that if the two guys with the best on-base percentage are hitting #1 and #2, that #3 is less important?

[bosoxmal]

But ... why? How is it possible that if the two guys with the best on-base percentage are hitting #1 and #2, that #3 is less important?

Good question. Bogie is a big drop-off (at the moment, anyway) between the 2 and 4 hitters.
Anyway, seems to be workingg just fine.

[fxkatt]

I'm fine with the new style as long as the Yankees follow it too. Right now Stanton is mainly hitting 3rd. He's hitting 248 with 15 homers and 35 RBIs while Gary Sanchez hits 4th or 5th with a batting ave of .190, 12 homers and 35 RBIs.

We seem to be a better hitting team right now and yet we only have 4 really dependable hitters who bat somewhere between 1-5. But on paper, the Yanks would seem superior... at least potentially with guys like Bird, Hicks, Judge, Torres, Andujar, Gregorius to support Stanton. In fact pre-season I thought they had a very long Murderers' Row.

[mvp 78]

If it works, who cares what the Yanks do?

[fxkatt]

If it works, who cares what the Yanks do?

It's obviously not working for the Yanks. But I don't think it can be said with any certainty at all that it works for any team. Teams win and lose for a hundred different reasons, both because of and despite their batting order.

I prefer the old eye style to the new if only because I want to see Betts have a shot at the triple crown, and his best chance is hitting 3rd, as he would be doing under the so-called traditional style. I also think hitting first puts more pressure on him to run--which means more of a chance for another damn injury.

[cp176]

It's obviously not working for the Yanks. But I don't think it can be said with any certainty at all that it works for any team. Teams win and lose for a hundred different reasons, both because of and despite their batting order.

I prefer the old eye style to the new if only because I want to see Betts have a shot at the triple crown, and his best chance is hitting 3rd, as he would be doing under the so-called traditional style. I also think hitting first puts more pressure on him to run--which means more of a chance for another damn injury.

Cora has one of the best power hitting run producers in the game today hitting in the 3 hole. Cora is too young to be old fashioned. Good for him for getting it right.

[bosoxmal]

I see Martiez is hitting third tonight. I guess that completes the Murdererd Row. Betts-Benintendi-Martinez!

[fxkatt]

Cora has one of the best power hitting run producers in the game today hitting in the 3 hole. Cora is too young to be old fashioned. Good for him for getting it right.

Old style wd have him hitting 3 or 4 as in, you know, Ted Williams.

[a700hitter]

Cora has one of the best power hitting run producers in the game today hitting in the 3 hole. Cora is too young to be old fashioned. Good for him for getting it right.

I trust the manager's judgment.

[Spudboy]

I trust the manager's judgment.

There is no reason not to.

[mvp 78]

There is no reason not to.

Well, he's only a rookie manager and I've been watching the Sox for decades so.......

[Kimmi]

Cora has one of the best power hitting run producers in the game today hitting in the 3 hole. Cora is too young to be old fashioned. Good for him for getting it right.

Just because he's not old fashioned doesn't mean that he's always right.

I'm on board with Cora. He's done a great job, so in no way am I trying to knock him. Besides, whether JD bats 3rd or 4th makes so little difference over the course of the season (2 runs) that it really doesn't matter.

All that said, if you want to optimize your lineup, you do not put your best hitter in the 3rd spot.

Also, while I'm on the top of JD, he still stinks defensively. The only reason that I have not brought it up lately is because there's really no sense in arguing about it. It's not because he's actually good out there.