re: Why is Harper continuously batting leadoff?

quote:

---

How would a guy batting lead off get two more at bats than anyone else batting in the lineup? Unless the other guy was inserted as a pinch hitter

---

Over the course of a season, a leadoff hitter will get more at bat's than any other spot.

Hey boss Max Scherzer is batting like .285

FTR I dont hate Harper in the leadoff. I think 2 spot would be ideal for him, especially if Matt Adams keeps swinging it

id like to see Turner/Rendon/Eaton numbers with Harper hitting behind one of them vs not, too

Trends change as the players change. Teams don't always have to follow conventional wisdom.

quote:

---

I’m probably wrong, but wouldn’t the lead off batter get 1 or 2 more AB’s than the rest of the lineup?

---

How can a leadoff hitter get 2 more at bats than another spot in the lineup?


We're really talking about the difference between batting 3rd or 4th, which probably long term would be something like 30-40 extra plate appearances over the course of a season. That sound good in theory, but you probably get more value out of 30 less plate appearances but batting 3rd behind 2 high OBP guys as opposed to batting 1st where you're guaranteed at least 1 AB with no one on base then the rest of the game batting behind 8th/9th hole hitters who are generally the worst hitters on your team.

quote:

---

It absolutely doesn't matter. The difference between the best possible lineup and a typical lineup is about 5 to 15 runs which is about 0.5 to 1.5 wins over a season. That's a minuscule difference. Also, you have to think about it in a common sense way. The batting order only plays a factor in the first inning of a ballgame. For example, the leadoff hitter is only guaranteed to bat leadoff during the first inning of a game. They aren't guaranteed to bat leadoff in their second or third or fourth at-bats. Same thing with the #3 hitters. They're only guaranteed to bat third during the first inning. They might lead off an inning during the rest of their at-bats or bat second or third. Basically people spend way too much time on an issue that really isn't very important.

---

That's 1 more inning guaranteed to bat leadoff than the #3 hitter.

Now do you want your high slugging guy to hit behind 2 of your best OBP guys in the leadoff and #2 spot?

Or do you want him hitting behind probably the worst hitting position player and your pitcher who hits .083?

quote:

---

I don’t know and I don’t care. The man went out there and did his job, and did it damn well. I also acknowledge that steroids didn’t magically pop up in the 90s, that shite was around as early(widespread) as the 60s. Athletes are always looking for a way to improve performance. Babe Ruth tried sheep testicle extract in the 20s but only made himself sick. Hell, the MLB’s first 300 game winner, Pud Galvin was reported to use monkey testosterone....in 1889. It’s disingenuous to pretend that other eras didn’t use them.

---

Hank Aaron is guilty too, he took greenies.

I don't care either.

Just wondering how he isn't right up there with some of the most egregious juicers.

If I had to guess, it’s because it was before his time. Steroids became an issue around the mid to late 90s(although Selig knew about it WAY, WAY before that). Rickey was on the “decline”, although still putting up very respectable numbers. If he would have been putting up ‘96 Brady Anderson numbers, he would be lumped with the Sosa, McGwire & Bonds of the world.