Drill Sergeant Batting Order

[Michael Xavier]

Left, right, left, right, left... For years, I've played around with various batting orders, like lefty heavy against right-handed pitchers and vice versa, and it is entirely anecdotal, but I have had a lot of success with the left, right, left, right, left, right, left, right batting order. Does anyone have any thoughts about this order? Does it matter, or just my own personal taste?

[Pineywoods OOTPer]

Originally Posted by Michael Xavier

Left, right, left, right, left... For years, I've played around with various batting orders, like lefty heavy against right-handed pitchers and vice versa, and it is entirely anecdotal, but I have had a lot of success with the left, right, left, right, left, right, left, right batting order. Does anyone have any thoughts about this order? Does it matter, or just my own personal taste?

I'm curious about it would work out.

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[Orcin]

I used to try to do it every time. Then I played as GM-only with an AI manager, and he stacks three lefties in a row in the middle of the order. I win anyway. What I learned was that the team with the best players wins. It's pretty hard to screw that up.

[D-BacksJosh]

What about the switch hitter? Guess that throws a monkey wrench in it...

[Michael Xavier]

I factor the switch hitter in when making the batting order. I will place him in the left-handed hitter slot, if facing a right-hander.

[Timofmars]

I think the alternating L/R batting order gives a slight advantage in the game when relievers start to come in. I think when the AI has multiple relievers that fit the role for what they want to bring into the game at the moment, they will tend to use the one that gives a better L/R matchup. So by having an alternating L/R lineup, you'll limit the opposing pitchers to having only 1 immediate platoon advantage, followed by a disadvantage with the next batter.

When a pitcher is brought on in a high leverage situation (runners on base, close game), this alternating lineup helps if the current batter doesn't end the inning. You'll be sure to have an advantage with the 2nd batter to try to get those RBIs.

For pitchers brought on at the start of an inning, the alternating lineup also helps in the same way that your cleanup hitter bats 4th in the 1st inning. The pitcher has an advantage on the 1st and 3rd batters. Sounds bad, right? But your 4th batter will have an advantage if he gets a chance to bat (if it's not a 1-2-3 out inning), and if he does bat, it means there should be a runner on base (unless they already scored, of course). That means the 4th at bat is almost guaranteed to be more important than a typical AB.

And if it was a 1-2-3 out inning, then your 4th batter is again batting in a slightly more important AB, which is leading off the inning, batting with no outs. So you'll have the advantage there if that pitcher stays on for a 2nd inning (which is likely if he only had to pitch a quick 1-2-3 inning).

But I certainly wouldn't bring a weaker player into the lineup just to have this L/R lineup. It's more about squeezing out the advantages of your best 9 players by adjusting their batting order. You also have to consider that you'll be facing a starting pitcher for half the game, so you don't want to move guys around if it will make your lineup weaker against that SP. You want your best guys grouped together at the top half of the lineup so they are more likely to hit each other in, plus have a higher chance of getting one extra AB before the game ends.

[Orcin]

If we are talking about OOTP, the AI rarely considers platoon advantage when it brings on a reliever. You will have the occasional inning where the AI uses three relievers, and sometimes they are all righties.

[NoOne]

consider how bad their splits are too -- both pitcher and batter splits are important... if the batter's ratings aren't so different vs either, it's now only the split of the pitcher that matters and lessens the effect of L v R dynamics.

only speaking of vs L pitcher and can extrapolate opposte effects for vs R pitcher:

i let ratings dictate "vs lefty pitcher lineup" ... but also consider likely split of pitcher.. ie L pitcher v L batter wil have better advantage than a L pitcher vs R batter relative to the pitchers stuff/move/control etc, more times than not...

so, i do require a bit more difference if it's a lefty v lefty situations to put them ahead of the righty with similar ratings, becuase of the pitcher split being a relevant factor to consider

but a lefty with 80contact vs lefty pitcher is still better than a righty with lower contact (still vs lefty ratings only)... (again must consider pitcher split, so it needs to be a bit more of a difference between the batters vs L rating in this context for a break even point.)

so, it's not soley about handedness... it must consider all relevant factors..

in fact if the potential Lefty pitcher is an even split and has no gains vs Lefty/ vs Right, i'd go soley by vsL batter rating when playing that particular pitcher. no extra difference needed for break-even analysis with a righty batter.. better contact vs L is better contact vs L no matter what if righty or lefty batter.

so the only accurate answer is maybe or sometimes... context dictates and can vary greatly. i worry more bout SP than potential relievers.. that's a much larger portion of total pie and much more predictable.

[RchW]

Originally Posted by Michael Xavier

I factor the switch hitter in when making the batting order. I will place him in the left-handed hitter slot, if facing a right-hander.

See I would put him in the RHB slot to maintain the platoon advantage both ways. I realize that would make 3 LHB in a row but that's ok IMO against RHP strictly because of the switch hitter.