MLB Questions--Any MLB fans help a UK Old Timer

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  • munsonfan
    Rookie
    • May 2009
    • 18

    #61
    Re: MLB Questions--Any MLB fans help a UK Old Timer

    Originally posted by johnnydrum
    Good afternoon.

    Cant than the posters who helped me with the Questions at the start of the season, and have to say you have all helped me get a better grasp.

    Another question that has popped up in my mind this last week....
    The Yankees Aaron Judge has been deployed as a "lead off " in some games?
    As the teams most powerful batter, why lead off---wouldnt he be more valuable in his normal 3rd/4th slot so his Home Power would be in effect with runners on base?
    What would be the logic of him batting leadoff?
    Thank you
    As your question implies, batting Aaron Judge leadoff is an odd choice, but batting someone like him at the top of the order is not unheard of these days, although it certainly is not the norm. As you indicate, in a traditional lineup, Aaron Judge would be placed in the third or fourth spot in the order and the first and second hitters would have traditionally been hitters who could run, get on base a lot, and perhaps get themselves or others into scoring position through steals, bunts and hit and run plays. Modern analytics has changed this a bit, but not as much as some suggest.

    With the rise of analytics, it became clear that getting your best hitters up as often as possible in each game is important to overall run production and hitting the best hitters at the top of the lineup allows this to happen. But as you state, the leadoff hitter is guaranteed to come up with no one on base in the first inning, so it would seem like a bad idea for a team to hit its best power guy leadoff, even if he is also the best on base guy. Therefore, many teams now bat their best overall hitter second, which is why Aaron Judge has been the most likely 2nd hitter in the Yankees lineup in recent years. (Mike Trout has often batted second throughout his career as well.)

    It is true that Aaron Boone has recently been batting Judge first on occasion, but he almost always bats Judge second and often places Anthony Rizzo third when Giancarlo Stanton is in the lineup hitting fourth, so he can put a lefty hitter between the two gargantuan righty sluggers. Neither traditional lineup construction nor the more modern, more analytically driven approach would suggest that batting Judge leadoff is a great idea in terms of average run production. However, quite a few analytical studies have suggested that lineup construction is overrated and not as important as many believe. So long as a lineup is constructed to get the best hitters near the top, it will likely be fine. The difference between batting your best hitter 2nd vs. hitting him 3rd or 4th is quite small.

    Although I haven't seen the numbers, batting a slugger who also gets on base a lot like Judge first might actually increase your chances of scoring in the first inning, even if it reduces the expected average runs scored in that inning and later, since he will be batting immediately after the bottom of the order all game. With the Yankees pitching this year, the Yankees jumping out to any lead early can be deflating to the opposition. That might not be a great reason to try it occasionally, but it could be a reason.

    Although it isn’t squarely on topic, the one thing I would add to all this is that the old school approach of batting a guy, who could run and handle the bat but wasn't great at getting on base, second has been a bad idea for a long time but is especially silly in today’s power focused era. (It might have made more sense in the dead ball era.) However, batting guys who get on base, can run, and can handle the bat first and second in a more traditional lineup can still work just fine.

    The champion Yankees teams of the late 1970s led off Mickey Rivers, a speedster and solid hitter and on base guy, and batted Willie Randolph second. Randolph could run, handle the bat, and hit decently, but the reason batting him second really made sense is he walked all the time. His on base percentage was always very high, giving the better and/or more powerful hitters behind him (Thurman Munson, Reggie Jackson, Chris Chambliss, Graig Nettles) ample opportunities to drive in runs. If Isiah Kiner-Falefa were an on-base machine like Willie Randolph was, today's Yankees could probably do just fine with IKF hitting first or second, and Judge, Rizzo, Stanton, Torres and Donaldson following behind. But IKF isn’t and that isn’t this Yankees team. This team simply doesn’t have an obvious leadoff hitter in either a traditional or more analytically driven line up and it has no Willie Randolph. There is no speedster like Rivers or super high average guy who lacks significant power a la Wade Boggs. Most of the guys who get on base a lot also have power and the most frequent lead off hitter, D.J. LeMahieu, is a high contact guy whose ability to put the ball in play could arguably be useful further down the lineup where he would more frequently have opportunities to hit with runners in scoring position. (Aaron Boone has mentioned this himself.)

    I know I have gone far afield, but in a nutshell, my response to your very sensible query is this. The decision to bat Aaron Judge leadoff on occasion is a bit odd and I would probably hit him second as Boone does most of the time, but it probably doesn’t matter much. Get your best hitters near the top of the line up and things should work out. Hope this overlong response was helpful.

    Comment

    • johnnydrum
      Pro
      • Sep 2009
      • 745

      #62
      Re: MLB Questions--Any MLB fans help a UK Old Timer

      Greetings from the UK
      Its that time of the year again....and this year Im going PS5!!!
      Want to touch base with ALL the kind people that helped me with questions within this thread ---12 months ago---you were BRILLIANT

      Going to play as the Baltimore Orioles this time round (although I loved playing with Judge)---so will no doubt have aton of questions again.

      All the best
      Johnny

      Comment

      • johnnydrum
        Pro
        • Sep 2009
        • 745

        #63
        MLB Questions--More from the UK Old Timer

        HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE.

        Want to wish all fans and players of the MLB all the best, and THANK you ALL (with sincerest apologies for those i didnt DM/PM personally ) for all the help with my "Old Man in the UK Novice Questions!" last year---which honestly, helped me so much not only enjoy the game MLB 22 , but also assisted me in understanding the real life version too!

        Can I call on some more questions?

        1# Orioles Fence
        Reading in my guides that Baltimore Orioles (last year) expanded thier walls, thusly making Home Runs more difficult?
        I have 2 parts to this question:
        I understand that this obviously makes it more difficult for the opposition to hit HRs, but surely the same would apply to the Home players??
        (Reading that one of their more pwerfull hitters: Ryan Mountcastle`s suffered a substantial drop off in HRs)---isnt this counter productive, and is it legal to do?
        What was the teams "officail statement for the reason?

        2# Pull Hitting
        Its a phrase I see in my guides....yet have no idea what they are saying? lol
        Is it where a Left Handed Hitter goes opposite side?
        If so whats the opposite side of the coin to "Pulling?"

        3# Relievers
        Last year I learned from the posters here, that a Reliver often didnt start out his journey to the Pros as such, more usually aspirations as a starter, that through the ranks had limited staminia or shorter pitch selection, resulting in a bullpen role, so I would like to ask (for my own Home Made Guide (yes indeed, at 52 and a half I still like to make my own guides...lol)---who would be considered the Top Five deadliest Closers?
        I seems to recall Josh Hader (MIL) and Aroldis Chapman (NYY) were the onames of MLB 21/22 , but cant find either today, although I see Orioles have a Man-Mountain in Bautista (?)

        Anyway....all the best to you all.

        Oh....and which Rosters is everyone favouring OR are folks waiting for the arrival of the Tatis Jnr when hes allowed back (does seem a daft rule that he isnt in the game already??)
        When is he due?

        Okay----go and eat Easter Eggs now....lol

        Comment

        • CBoller1331
          It Appears I Blue Myself
          • Dec 2013
          • 3082

          #64
          Re: MLB Questions--More from the UK Old Timer

          Originally posted by johnnydrum
          HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE.

          Want to wish all fans and players of the MLB all the best, and THANK you ALL (with sincerest apologies for those i didnt DM/PM personally ) for all the help with my "Old Man in the UK Novice Questions!" last year---which honestly, helped me so much not only enjoy the game MLB 22 , but also assisted me in understanding the real life version too!

          Can I call on some more questions?

          1# Orioles Fence
          Reading in my guides that Baltimore Orioles (last year) expanded thier walls, thusly making Home Runs more difficult?
          I have 2 parts to this question:
          I understand that this obviously makes it more difficult for the opposition to hit HRs, but surely the same would apply to the Home players??
          (Reading that one of their more pwerfull hitters: Ryan Mountcastle`s suffered a substantial drop off in HRs)---isnt this counter productive, and is it legal to do?

          It definitely affected their Right-handed power hitters (like Mountcastle), but I suppose on the flip side it helped their pitching. "On paper" they had a below average pitching staff, but they were able to be competitive last year thanks in part to their pitching (they ranked 17th in the league in ERA, which is about average and much better than I'm sure anyone expected)

          What was the teams "officail statement for the reason?

          Here's an article with a few quotes from their GM
          https://www.mlb.com/news/orioles-pus...ft-field-fence


          2# Pull Hitting
          Its a phrase I see in my guides....yet have no idea what they are saying? lol
          Is it where a Left Handed Hitter goes opposite side?

          It's actually the opposite of this. A Left hander "pulls" the ball when he hits it to the right field/first base side of the field. A right hander "pulls" the ball when he hits it to the left field/third base side of the field. Hitters generally have more power to their pull side, and most hitters tend to pull the ball more than hitting it the opposite way, which is why in previous years you would see some extreme shifts with multiple infielders on the "pull side" of 2B. The new rules this year have limited those shifts to some extent

          If so whats the opposite side of the coin to "Pulling?"

          You would think it would be a "push" hitter, but I don't know of any one that uses that term. Most often people say "he's an opposite field hitter", or "he uses the whole field"

          3# Relievers
          Last year I learned from the posters here, that a Reliver often didnt start out his journey to the Pros as such, more usually aspirations as a starter, that through the ranks had limited staminia or shorter pitch selection, resulting in a bullpen role, so I would like to ask (for my own Home Made Guide (yes indeed, at 52 and a half I still like to make my own guides...lol)---who would be considered the Top Five deadliest Closers?

          My Personal Top 5 list:
          1. Edwin Diaz (NYM) - sports a deadly Fastball/Slider combo and just signed the largest contract for a relief pitcher in MLB history, although he will miss all of the 2023 season with a torn ACL

          2. Emmanual Clase (CLE) - Throws a nasty 100mph cut fastball that breaks in on left-handed hitters

          3. Josh Hader (SD) - Struggled a bit after being traded to the Padres last season, but still one of the nasty lefties in the game, and strikes out hitters at an extreme rate

          4. Andres Munoz (SEA) - He might not be their official closer, and is more of a "set-up man" but Munoz broke onto the scene last year and sports a 100mph fastball

          5. Devin Williams (MIL) - May have the nastiest pitch in baseball. A changeup that moves more than any other in baseball--so much that it is nicknamed the "air-bender"

          One Extra closer related story: Australian born White Sox pitcher Liam Hendriks was one of the best closers in the game over the past 5 seasons or so. This offseason he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and just completed his last round of chemo this week, so hopefully he can return to the mound some time this year. He will be a fun guy to root for


          I seems to recall Josh Hader (MIL) and Aroldis Chapman (NYY) were the onames of MLB 21/22 , but cant find either today, although I see Orioles have a Man-Mountain in Bautista (?)

          Hader is on the Padres now (he was traded last season), and Chapman is on the Royals this year (he might not be listed as the closer). And Bautista is certainly a "unit"!

          Anyway....all the best to you all.

          Oh....and which Rosters is everyone favouring OR are folks waiting for the arrival of the Tatis Jnr when hes allowed back (does seem a daft rule that he isnt in the game already??)
          When is he due?

          Tatis *should* be in the first roster update after his debut, which is 4/20

          Okay----go and eat Easter Eggs now....lol
          Answers in bold.
          Last edited by CBoller1331; 04-09-2023, 08:20 AM.
          Chicago Cubs
          Michigan Wolverines

          Thanks Peyton. #18

          Comment

          • baconbits11
            MVP
            • Oct 2014
            • 2616

            #65
            Re: MLB Questions--Any MLB fans help a UK Old Timer

            @johnnydrum Welcome to our great American pasttime! Our great game! Nice to have you as a fan! I'm a rugby fan myself.

            Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

            Comment

            • tessl
              All Star
              • Apr 2007
              • 5685

              #66
              Re: MLB Questions--Any MLB fans help a UK Old Timer

              There are exceptions but...

              1B - Doesn't require as much mobility and doesn't need to have a good throwing arm. Normally a player with a big bat.

              3B - Similar to 1B but requires a strong throwing arm. Less agility than 2B/SS but more than 1B. Quick hands and a big bat. The hot corner.

              SS - Best defensive player who has agility and a strong arm.

              2B - Similar to SS but doesn't need as strong an arm.

              CF - Needs speed to cover a lot of ground and needs a good arm.

              LF/RF Wide variety of players with one thing in common - they can hit.

              C - Unique position. Vital player who has to be tough and has to have the ability to call pitches, block pitches in the dirt, strong throwing arm and play with injuries.

              Traditionally teams try to get offense at 1B, 3B, LF and RF. C, 2B, SS and CF defense first with offense a bonus.

              Comment

              • reyes the roof
                Hall Of Fame
                • Mar 2009
                • 11526

                #67
                Re: MLB Questions--Any MLB fans help a UK Old Timer

                Originally posted by tessl
                There are exceptions but...

                LF/RF Wide variety of players with one thing in common - they can hit.
                To add to this, generally the better arm is in RF to try to prevent guys going second to third on a sacrifice fly or first to third on a single

                Comment

                • johnnydrum
                  Pro
                  • Sep 2009
                  • 745

                  #68
                  Re: MLB Questions--More from the UK Old Timer

                  Originally posted by CBoller1331
                  Answers in bold.
                  Thank You so much---That was a super read!

                  Comment

                  • johnnydrum
                    Pro
                    • Sep 2009
                    • 745

                    #69
                    Re: MLB Questions--Any MLB fans help a UK Old Timer

                    Originally posted by baconbits11
                    @johnnydrum Welcome to our great American pasttime! Our great game! Nice to have you as a fan! I'm a rugby fan myself.

                    Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
                    Thank you!
                    This is actually Year 2 and a half in my schooling of the MLB
                    Lifelong far away NHL fan, but love the different pacing (and the stats) of Baseball.
                    The MLB Show Game, for its faults brings a beautiful representation of the sport, I learned the "real game" from the Computer version.

                    Comment

                    • johnnydrum
                      Pro
                      • Sep 2009
                      • 745

                      #70
                      Re: MLB Questions--Any MLB fans help a UK Old Timer

                      Originally posted by tessl
                      There are exceptions but...

                      1B - Doesn't require as much mobility and doesn't need to have a good throwing arm. Normally a player with a big bat.

                      3B - Similar to 1B but requires a strong throwing arm. Less agility than 2B/SS but more than 1B. Quick hands and a big bat. The hot corner.

                      SS - Best defensive player who has agility and a strong arm.

                      2B - Similar to SS but doesn't need as strong an arm.

                      CF - Needs speed to cover a lot of ground and needs a good arm.

                      LF/RF Wide variety of players with one thing in common - they can hit.

                      C - Unique position. Vital player who has to be tough and has to have the ability to call pitches, block pitches in the dirt, strong throwing arm and play with injuries.

                      Traditionally teams try to get offense at 1B, 3B, LF and RF. C, 2B, SS and CF defense first with offense a bonus.
                      Thank You so much. That will expalin why some of the 1st B men are huge, but not mobile, such as Vladdy Jnr

                      Comment

                      • johnnydrum
                        Pro
                        • Sep 2009
                        • 745

                        #71
                        Re: MLB Questions--Any MLB fans help a UK Old Timer

                        Originally posted by reyes the roof
                        To add to this, generally the better arm is in RF to try to prevent guys going second to third on a sacrifice fly or first to third on a single
                        Ahhhh....hence Judge/ Gallo playing RF---Needa Big Arm to get to 3rd/ Home

                        Thank you

                        Comment

                        • Esse
                          Rookie
                          • Aug 2014
                          • 12

                          #72
                          Oh thanks so much for this post! I'm italian and is not so simple to follow this sport from here.
                          Stupid question: How to decide which pitch to use? Fastball, cut etc? I use it randomly, try not to repeat the same pitch twice in a row but nothing else.
                          Thanks again =)

                          Comment

                          • jcar0725
                            "ADAPT OR DIE"
                            • Aug 2010
                            • 3821

                            #73
                            Re: MLB Questions--Any MLB fans help a UK Old Timer

                            Originally posted by Esse
                            Oh thanks so much for this post! I'm italian and is not so simple to follow this sport from here.
                            Stupid question: How to decide which pitch to use? Fastball, cut etc? I use it randomly, try not to repeat the same pitch twice in a row but nothing else.
                            Thanks again =)
                            Welcome, from an Italian American .

                            You'll probably find people all have varieties on how they go about pitching. But for me, I try to use fastballs early in the count to get ahead of the hitter, and then try to throw the pitches with the most movement after that to try to get them out.

                            In this game, varying your strategy helps a lot. If you keep doing the same patterns you'll eventually get beat.

                            Also the strength of your pitcher matters. If he's is a low rated player it probably will be a struggle.

                            Sent from my thoughts
                            JUUUUUUUST A BIT OUTSIDE

                            Comment

                            • johnnydrum
                              Pro
                              • Sep 2009
                              • 745

                              #74
                              Re: MLB Questions--Any MLB fans help a UK Old Timer

                              Originally posted by Esse
                              Oh thanks so much for this post! I'm italian and is not so simple to follow this sport from here.
                              Stupid question: How to decide which pitch to use? Fastball, cut etc? I use it randomly, try not to repeat the same pitch twice in a row but nothing else.
                              Thanks again =)
                              Greetings from the UK!
                              That is a great question.
                              I use the Catchers advice (the pitch he suggests flashes and a catchers mit icon in the zone suggests the location)

                              Comment

                              • reyes the roof
                                Hall Of Fame
                                • Mar 2009
                                • 11526

                                #75
                                Re: MLB Questions--Any MLB fans help a UK Old Timer

                                Originally posted by Esse
                                Oh thanks so much for this post! I'm italian and is not so simple to follow this sport from here.
                                Stupid question: How to decide which pitch to use? Fastball, cut etc? I use it randomly, try not to repeat the same pitch twice in a row but nothing else.
                                Thanks again =)
                                Modern pitching has changed strategy a lot. It used to primarily be get ahead with your fastball and then throw off speed/breaking stuff but now guys will throw anything in any count. Just make sure you’re mixing up your speeds, it doesn’t help to throw change ups if you aren’t also throwing fastballs. Also, don’t be afraid to throw pitches off the plate and get guys to chase.

                                Comment

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