Playoff batting order

[Navin R Johnson]

Curious what others see as the best lineup the Astros could run out.

VS LHP I like
Springer
Altuve
Correa
Gurriel
Reddick
Gattis
Bregman
Marwin (DH)
Maybin

VS RHP
Springer
Altuve
Reddick
Correa
Gurriel
McCann
Bregman
Marwin (DH)
Maybin

[toddthebod]

I still like Bregman batting in the two-hole with Altuve batting third. 

[ValpoCory]

Curious what others see as the best lineup the Astros could run out.

VS LHP I like
Springer
Altuve
Correa
Gurriel
Reddick
Gattis
Bregman
Marwin (DH)
Maybin

McCann will catch Verlander and Keuchel in Games 1 and 2, even with likely facing LHP Chris Sale and LHP Drew Pomeranz.    In fact, I doubt Gattis starts a game at catcher the entire postseason, unless Houston's up 3 games to none in the ALCS or something.  However, in the last 3 games he is batting well, and he'll start at DH tomorrow against Hamels.   So if he keeps that up, I bet we see this lineup in Game 1 against Sale:

Springer [CF]
Bregman [3B]
Altuve [2B]
Correa [SS]
Reddick [RF]
Gattis [DH]
Marwin [LF]
Gurriel [1B]    -- Hinch loves him some "8th in the order Yuli"
McCann [C]

against Pomeranz, I bet Maybin is in and Gattis sits, unless Gattis is in full lumberjack mode.  Sucks to not have Marisnick here, as he owns Pomeranz.  2 bombs and triple off him in 12 at bats.  My Game 2 lineup:

Springer [CF] -- in 13 plate appearances against Pomeranz, George has only put the ball in play once, but has a .615 OBP.
Bregman [3B]
Altuve [2B]
Correa [SS]
Reddick [RF]
Marwin [DH]
Gurriel [1B]   
McCann [C]
Maybin [LF]

[MikeyBoy]

I said this in the GZ last week, but I expect to see Marwin in LF quite a bit in the playoffs.

[BlownRanger]

I said this in the GZ last week, but I expect to see Marwin in LF quite a bit in the playoffs.

I agree.  And I expect Beltran to DH against all RH starters.

[Lefty]

I said this in the GZ last week, but I expect to see Marwin in LF quite a bit in the playoffs.

Maybin for the late innings.

[Navin R Johnson]

I really wish Hinch would put Yuli up higher up in the order.

[juliogotay]

I really wish Hinch would put Yuli up higher up in the order.

I kinda like having a guy in the bottom third of the order that can drive in some runs. Might also keep the pitcher from pitching around the 5th and 6th hitter.

[Astros Fan in Big D]

I kinda like having a guy in the bottom third of the order that can drive in some runs. Might also keep the pitcher from pitching around the 5th and 6th hitter.

I like having Yuli and Altuve with a little separation in the order. 

[Navin R Johnson]

I kinda like having a guy in the bottom third of the order that can drive in some runs. Might also keep the pitcher from pitching around the 5th and 6th hitter.

Who doesn't like that?  But if it's the 9th inning, would you rather have Gurriel up with 2 outs and runners on or, Gattis, Beltran, McCann?   Who do you want getting 5 at bats vs 4?

[ValpoCory]

Who doesn't like that?  But if it's the 9th inning, would you rather have Gurriel up with 2 outs and runners on or, Gattis, Beltran, McCann?   Who do you want getting 5 at bats vs 4?

You make great points.    Yuli's batting order splits are hard to imagine.   Hinch bats him 8th because that's by far his best position statistically.  If fact, he has an .809 OPS on the season, and his OPS is below .809 when he bats 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th.    So his bats 8th OPS (1.121 in 80 PA) is so high, it brings the average above the lowest 5 values in a 6 value** average.

So then your question becomes ... do you want 5 at bats at .770 OPS or 4 at bats at 1.121 OPS?   I tend to lean towards the 5 ABs for Gurriel, due to the whole "past performance is not a guarantee of future results", and that his splits will regress to the mean.

**ignores the 1 game he hit 9th

[BizidyDizidy]

You make great points.    Yuli's batting order splits are hard to imagine.   Hinch bats him 8th because that's by far his best position statistically.  If fact, he has an .809 OPS on the season, and his OPS is below .809 when he bats 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th.    So his bats 8th OPS (1.121 in 80 PA) is so high, it brings the average above the lowest 5 values in a 6 value** average.

So then your question becomes ... do you want 5 at bats at .770 OPS or 4 at bats at 1.121 OPS?   I tend to lean towards the 5 ABs for Gurriel, due to the whole "past performance is not a guarantee of future results", and that his splits will regress to the mean.

**ignores the 1 game he hit 9th

Is this post satirical?

[HudsonHawk]

BTW..."Postseason".  The NFL has "playoffs".

[VirtualBob]

Is this post satirical?

#benefitofthedoubt

[ValpoCory]

Is this post satirical?

Of course.  I was trying to justify/figure out why Hinch keeps batting Yuli 8th, but ultimately, you can't justify it.   You want Yuli batting 5 times and not 4.   Many times when Yuli was hitting 8th, Beltran was hitting ahead of him in the order.

[JimR]

I really wish Hinch would put Yuli up higher up in the order.

No, no, no. Having him 6-7-8 is what makes this lineup impossible to get through. I think he should be no higher than 6. I like Kemp at 9 much better than Fisher.

[astrojo]

6. I like Kemp much better than Fisher.

FIFY

[JimR]

Hinch should not reconfigure the lineup now. He should stick with the lineups which generated historic offense. You numbers guys know, and I do not, my my aged eyes and memory believe Yuli did not hit or produce as well hitting in the middle of the order when Correa was out. He should (I think) hit behind Beltran, not in front of him. That will maximize good pitches Beltran gets and minimize IBBs to get to someone who has slumped lately.

My thoughts only, of course. I have no idea what Mad Scientist Hinch will do.

[Astros Fan in Big D]

Hinch should not reconfigure the lineup now. He should stick with the lineups which generated historic offense. You numbers guys know, and I do not, my my aged eyes and memory believe Yuli did not hit or produce as well hitting in the middle of the order when Correa was out. He should (I think) hit behind Beltran, not in front of him. That will maximize good pitches Beltran gets and minimize IBBs to get to someone who has slumped lately.

My thoughts only, of course. I have no idea what Mad Scientist Hinch will do.

Agree.  You can count on Beltran to at least work a count and make the pitcher labor.  I *think* having a guy like Yuli hit after that is an advantage; hitting zone bigger than the strike zone etc.

[geezerdonk]

The fact that Fisher may be on the playoff roster spotlights the continuing impact of the Aoki Folly.

[JimR]

The fact that Fisher may be on the playoff roster spotlights the continuing impact of the Aoki Folly.

Including him in the trade was unnecessary. Kemp is better right now than Fisher.

[juliogotay]

Including him in the trade was unnecessary. Kemp is better right now than Fisher.

I agree on Kemp. Also more defensively versatile.

[JimR]

I agree on Kemp. Also more defensively versatile.

Puts the ball in play and can run as well as Fisher

[Bench]

Hinch should not reconfigure the lineup now. He should stick with the lineups which generated historic offense. You numbers guys know, and I do not, my my aged eyes and memory believe Yuli did not hit or produce as well hitting in the middle of the order when Correa was out. He should (I think) hit behind Beltran, not in front of him. That will maximize good pitches Beltran gets and minimize IBBs to get to someone who has slumped lately.

My thoughts only, of course. I have no idea what Mad Scientist Hinch will do.

I wholeheartedly agree that having Yuli at 6 or 7 is one of the things that makes this lineup great and he should be installed there throughout the post season. 

But my recollection is that Yuli was one of the few bats carrying the offense while Correa and then Springer were out.  Not sure how to verify that, but Correa was out mid July through early September, and Yuli's July slash line was .304/.333/.565 and August was .323/.368/.485. 

A drop off in slugging when he was the mainstay in the middle, but that may have to do with pitchers being able to pitch around him.  He had more walks in August (7) than the entire first half of the season (6), and presumably was getting his hits off pitches on the edges or outside the zone which may explain the increase in OBP but the dropoff in SLG. 

[ValpoCory]

I wholeheartedly agree that having Yuli at 6 or 7 is one of the things that makes this lineup great and he should be installed there throughout the post season. 

But what about when Yuli bats 8th?  Like he did yesterday when it was Beltran who was batting 7th and came up with 2 outs and 2 on in the 1st inning of a 2-0 game and promptly grounded out to end the threat.   


I don't see any way Hinch moves Yuli out of the 8 spot against RHP, assuming everyone is healthy.

[JimR]

But what about when Yuli bats 8th?  Like he did yesterday when it was Beltran who was batting 7th and came up with 2 outs and 2 on in the 1st inning of a 2-0 game and promptly grounded out to end the threat.   


I don't see any way Hinch moves Yuli out of the 8 spot against RHP, assuming everyone is healthy.

If he hits in front of Beltran and first base is open in a crucial situation, IBB.

[geezerdonk]

It looks like Hinch has decided (correctly) that Kemp will be the first outfielder off the bench.