The article of Harrison Bader in right field foreshadowed for me a line up against left handed pitching that will be entirely right handed. That might make sense if you look at the numbers in any individual pairing. It might make sense if games are simulated in a computer. I don’t think it makes sense in the play of the game.

I recently read some thoughts about line up construction in the San Diego Union Tribune from Padres’ manager Mike Schildt. He was asked about his line up that alternates 1 through 8.

Quote

It’s really important because just at a very basic standpoint it doesn’t allow a lot of favorable matchups from the other side,” Shildt said. “And the best thing about the lineup is, part of our continued emphasis, is making sure that we don’t have anybody in our lineup that it feels like there’s a matchup on the same side. Having right, left, right, left, right, left, that creates a little bit of imbalance, not only for the pitcher that’s facing those guys — they don’t get comfortable facing the same side guy or opposite side guy — but also the strategy of (the other manager) can’t bring this lefty in this spot.

I have wondered before if it helps pitchers stay in rhythm when they face batters from only one side. I haven’t seen data on this but I would like to see how a lefty does against a right handed batter after he has just faced a lefty. Are his numbers against right handed batting consistent with similar batters in an all right handed line up? I suspect that for many pitchers a manager makes the game too easy by sending up a one sided lineup.

I would like to see Wallner or Larnach or both in those lineups. They might be the only two lefties the Twins have on the opening day roster. Podcasters and bloggers have beat the drum for right handed batting over the years but it sure seems that have a shortage of left handed bats right now. Let’s hope Julien will return to 2023 form or Keirsey is a better hitter than his minor league wRC+ suggests or Rodriguez and/or Eeles dominate AAA early and join the Twins in the first half. Until then let’s at least see Larnach or Wallner in the lineup. While we’re at it let’s also keep them in the game when they face that lefty reliever before the 8th inning. 

Someone is probably going to argue that Wallner has a career OPS against lefties of .510 or Larnach has a career OPS against lefties of .570. Bader and Castro are well over 100 points better for their career. On paper I can’t win this argument. I can’t win it in a computer simulation.  The batter I wonder about is not Wallner or Bader. It is the next guy. Does Jeffers get a better pitch to hit from that lefty when he is following Wallner? Is that pitcher a little off balance and more prone to a mistake?

I will finish by adding one puzzling split about Jeffers. For his career Jeffers has an OPS against lefties that is 137 points better than his OPS against righties. How is it possible that his OPS in games started by a right handed pitcher is 90 points better than when a game is started by a lefty?