The Perfect Batting Order

[istewart]

I think this is a pretty interesting bit, by Tom Verducci. According to him, this is the best lineup that can be compiled in today's MLB. Each player is selected and placed in the lineup according to what slot in the order they played most often in 2004 (That is, this is not simply an All-Star lineup of hitting, obviously).

1. Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners
2. Mark Loretta, Padres
3. Albert Pujols, Cardinals
4. Barry Bonds, Giants
5. Jim Edmonds, Cardinals
6. Erubiel Durazo, A's
7. Reggie Sanders, Cardinals
8. Alex Cora, Indians
9. Miguel Cairo, Mets

Thoughts?

[mantasm]

It seems like the 9th spot would be an AL guy.

[zaxx19]

Oh G-d its baseball season already........

Get ready for 8 months of Peter Gammons waxing poetic about left handed pitching...

I cant wait. /images/graemlins/mad.gif

[istewart]

More like "can't wait for the one-testicled John Kruk to continue flubbing his lines on Baseball Tonight."

Yet I can't stop watching.

[mantasm]

Oops, I didn't realize he was a yankee last year. Also, I think my cleanup guy should be able to walk.

[goofball]

1 and 4 are no brainers.

[jason_t]

Three new avatars in eight hours?

The Shins
Sklansky
Vietnam

I don't even get the theme.

[Jack of Arcades]

Looks spot on to me.

[istewart]

[ QUOTE ]
Three new avatars in eight hours?

The Shins
Sklansky
Vietnam

I don't even get the theme.

[/ QUOTE ]

I couldn't decide. The Sklansky picture was a bit meh. This one fits.

[istewart]

[ QUOTE ]
Looks spot on to me.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think it's pretty good myself. I'm about to leaf through by BP regarding 6th, though, for alternatives to Durazo. Who else do you think is a solid option there?

[jason_t]

[ QUOTE ]
I think it's pretty good myself. I'm about to leaf through by BP regarding 6th, though, for alternatives to Durazo. Who else do you think is a solid option there?

[/ QUOTE ]

Durazo almost surely has the highest OPS. Jorge Posada wouldn't be a terrible alternative.

[Jack of Arcades]

From a pure, position unadjusted standpoint, it's Durazo.

Actually, #2 should be Carlos Guillen.

[chaas4747]

No Beltran? I would probably swap him out for the 6 or 7 spot.

[andyfox]

Pete Palmer, for The Hidden Game of Baseball, several years ago, studied different batting orders and concluded that the batting order doesn't really mattere that much. That is, you could more or less put the nine names in a hat and pick the batting order at random and it would produce just about as many runs as any other batting order.

I assume you're saying that the best #9 hitter in baseball in 2004 was Miguel Cairo.

[jason_t]

Beltran doesn't bat 6 or 7.

[tbach24]

I can't believe that there's no one better than Sanders at 7th (OBP was .315 last season). 1/3/4 are no brainers, but I'm going to get back to this after my next class to try and determine the best.

[Rick Diesel]

I'd take Larry Walker in the two spot over Mark Loretta any day of the week.

[Paluka]

This whole exercise is silly. This team does not have a catcher.

[Bulldog]

[ QUOTE ]
It seems like the 9th spot would be an AL guy.

[/ QUOTE ]

Cairo played for the Yankees last year.

[RogerZBT]

[ QUOTE ]
Thoughts?

[/ QUOTE ]

Tom Verducci needs a new hobby?

[mostsmooth]

arod isnt good enough to bat 2nd?

[tbach24]

Agreed. By Bill James' hitting efficiency rating (OBPx3 + Slugging) here's their numbers:
Loretta- 1.668
Walker- 1.739 (while in STL)

[tbach24]

[ QUOTE ]
arod isnt good enough to bat 2nd?

[/ QUOTE ]

No.
(using last year's stats)
A) He wasn't as good as Loretta or Walker
B) Does he even bat #2?

[ThisHo]

Alex Cora hitting 8th? His uptick last year was an myth and a hoax. How about Kalil Green?

[bugstud]

I hate exercises like this. So who plays 3b, cairo? *VOMIT* Pujols hasn't played there in years

[Toro]

For 9th, I got to go with the Sox Bill Mueller. Not many 9th hitters win batting titles.

[Benholio]

This has nothing to do with fielding positions, only with batting order positions.

[mostsmooth]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
arod isnt good enough to bat 2nd?

[/ QUOTE ]

No.
(using last year's stats)
A) He wasn't as good as Loretta or Walker
B) Does he even bat #2?

[/ QUOTE ]
A) are you smoking crack?
B) hes batted a few different spots, but he has batted 2nd a lot.

[istewart]

God, people, READ.

This has nothing to do with fielding. It only has to do with where the player batted the majority of the time in 2004.

[crosse91]

perfect lineup-see the Cardinals..

[jason_t]

[ QUOTE ]
perfect lineup-see the Cardinals..

[/ QUOTE ]

Is that the team that got sweeped?

[mostsmooth]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
perfect lineup-see the Cardinals..

[/ QUOTE ]

Is that the team that got sweeped?

[/ QUOTE ]
no, thats the team that got swept

[istewart]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
perfect lineup-see the Cardinals..

[/ QUOTE ]

Is that the team that got sweeped?

[/ QUOTE ]
no, thats the team that got swept

[/ QUOTE ]

Very nice.

[jason_t]

[ QUOTE ]
no, thats the team that got swept

[/ QUOTE ]

Dammit. You beat me before I had a chance to edit it.

[mostsmooth]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
no, thats the team that got swept

[/ QUOTE ]

Dammit. You beat me before I had a chance to edit it.

[/ QUOTE ]
sorry, im at work. of course you could have played it off as a joke, now its too late for that too. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Jack of Arcades]

[ QUOTE ]
arod isnt good enough to bat 2nd?

[/ QUOTE ]

A-Rod is not eligible to bat 2nd, most of his PAs came at 3rd.

[Jack of Arcades]

[ QUOTE ]

A) are you smoking crack?

[/ QUOTE ]

No, really, he wasn't as good as Walker last year, and Loretta is close.

[Jack of Arcades]

[ QUOTE ]
For 9th, I got to go with the Sox Bill Mueller. Not many 9th hitters win batting titles.

[/ QUOTE ]

Mueller bat 8th most last year - and should replace Alex Cora.

1: Ichiro!
2: Walker
3: Pujols
4: Bonds
5: Edmonds
6: Erubiel Durazo
7: Reggie Sanders (worst one - slightly above average, not adjusting for position_
8: Bill Mueler
9: Miguel Cairo

[mostsmooth]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

A) are you smoking crack?

[/ QUOTE ]

No, really, he wasn't as good as Walker last year, and Loretta is close.

[/ QUOTE ]
he was at least as good as both.

[Jack of Arcades]

I'm not talking about talent or ability, I'm saying that last year, Larry Walker put up a better batting line than a-rod.

[mostsmooth]

and what did walker and loretta do that makes them so great? and what did loretta do that he is even being spoken of in the same sentence as arod?
and just curious, what site do you get your PA info from?

[mostsmooth]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not talking about talent or ability, I'm saying that last year, Larry Walker put up a better batting line than a-rod.

[/ QUOTE ]
of course walker only played half a season though, could have been better or worse for a full.

[Jack of Arcades]

Mark's batting line last year....

.335/.391/.495.

A-Rod's

.286/.375/.512

It's extremely close.

Walker's blows them both away, even after you adjust for Coors:

.298/.424/.589
.280/.393/.560 in STL

As said earlier, this doesn't adjust for position. All three are probably roughly equal, nod going to Loretta as the 2B.

[Jack of Arcades]

Probably worse.

[mostsmooth]

ok so you arent considering HR, RBI, SB, or any of the simple stuff? i like SB for a 2nd place hitter, no?

[Jack of Arcades]

Everything you need, offensively, is in OBP and SLG. R/RBI are a function of OBP, SLG, and teammates. SB largely has no value in today's run environment, so, while I'd love a guy like Rickey or Tim Raines, I won't sweat it much.

[zimmer879]

[ QUOTE ]
Mark's batting line last year....

.335/.391/.495.

A-Rod's

.286/.375/.512

It's extremely close.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not really considering Loretta played in Petco, an extreme pitcher's park.

[ QUOTE ]
Walker's blows them both away, even after you adjust for Coors:

.298/.424/.589
.280/.393/.560 in STL



[/ QUOTE ]
He had just over 250 ABs. He's great when healthy, but c'mon now.

[Jack of Arcades]

Yankee Stadium's a pitcher's park, too.