Serious question and would love to get some input on this. The title says it all. Modern sabermatics dictates that you bat your best hitters #1, #2, and #4 with OBA being weighted to #1 and power being weighted to #4. You then would place your next best hitter #3 followed by the next best at #5. You would then just go next best down #6 through #9 in order.
The problem with this is I feel batting order has more of an effect on simulation stat outcomes then actually batting attributes. Sure I could play every game like some people on here such as country boy, but I am a heavy simmer and like to run multiple franchises a year. So far this year I have run about 20 franchises of at least three years, and here is why I think batting order is more important that actuall hitting attributes.
* I want to preface this by saying batting order is not the end all be all of the show. If I put someone like jet bandy at #3 as opposed to manny machado of course he is not going to be able to match his production. However when the ratings get closer. I have noticed hitters have been able to out produce their superior teammates by being put in more "optimal" positions in the batting order
* in almost all of the franchises I have run the #2 hitter regardless of who it is almost always out performs the #5 and #6 hitters in average, doubles, and a lot of the times surprisingly RBI's regardless of attributes.
* when switching the guy I have in the number two spot (in this case I will use the rockies franchise I am currently running) His production seems to flip with the lead off hitter. Example: I had David Dahl batting leadoff having a career year heading into the all star break (.330 BA, 19 HR, and 63 RBI's). I have Garrett Hampton following him at #2 hitting a respectable .263 with 2 HR and only 12 ribs. But a respectable OBA of .325.... injuries forced me to flip their spots in the order (mainly to split leftys) and all of a sudden it's like their production has flipped leading me to believe the spot in the order is almost more important than attributes.
* shoot. Even the morale system has leadoff, 3rd, and 4th as the "star" positions in the order, when a lot of sabermaticians believe you now bat your best guy #2
This is just one example and I would be interested in seeing what other people's philosophies are on sabermatics and building "modern" batting orders in the show, and if it is even possible to do with a franchise engine that is at best 5 years outdated
The problem with this is I feel batting order has more of an effect on simulation stat outcomes then actually batting attributes. Sure I could play every game like some people on here such as country boy, but I am a heavy simmer and like to run multiple franchises a year. So far this year I have run about 20 franchises of at least three years, and here is why I think batting order is more important that actuall hitting attributes.
* I want to preface this by saying batting order is not the end all be all of the show. If I put someone like jet bandy at #3 as opposed to manny machado of course he is not going to be able to match his production. However when the ratings get closer. I have noticed hitters have been able to out produce their superior teammates by being put in more "optimal" positions in the batting order
* in almost all of the franchises I have run the #2 hitter regardless of who it is almost always out performs the #5 and #6 hitters in average, doubles, and a lot of the times surprisingly RBI's regardless of attributes.
* when switching the guy I have in the number two spot (in this case I will use the rockies franchise I am currently running) His production seems to flip with the lead off hitter. Example: I had David Dahl batting leadoff having a career year heading into the all star break (.330 BA, 19 HR, and 63 RBI's). I have Garrett Hampton following him at #2 hitting a respectable .263 with 2 HR and only 12 ribs. But a respectable OBA of .325.... injuries forced me to flip their spots in the order (mainly to split leftys) and all of a sudden it's like their production has flipped leading me to believe the spot in the order is almost more important than attributes.
* shoot. Even the morale system has leadoff, 3rd, and 4th as the "star" positions in the order, when a lot of sabermaticians believe you now bat your best guy #2
This is just one example and I would be interested in seeing what other people's philosophies are on sabermatics and building "modern" batting orders in the show, and if it is even possible to do with a franchise engine that is at best 5 years outdated
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