Acuna and batting order position

E

Enscheff

Well-known member
Earlier in the year, the mouth breathers were out in full force declaring how much better Acuna was batting in the #1 spot in the order. Everyone with half a clue realized the splits being referenced were small sample coincidental nonsense, but the drooling masses persisted.

Acuna's current 2019 splits are:

Batting 1st: .284/.364/.526 (.889 OPS)
Batting 4th: .278/.373/.481 (.854 OPS)

So please, stop the "Acuna thrives in the lead off spot" stupidity. Acuna should be the 2 hole hitter, followed by Freeman and Donaldson...every...single...day. That's "the core" of this offense. Period. End of discussion.

The discussion to be had is who bats 1st, 5th, and everywhere else? To answer that question, we look to xwOBA vs RHP/LHP...

Non "core" xwOBA vs RHP (min 100 PAs):

Nick Markakis 0.365
Matt Joyce 0.358
Dansby Swanson 0.348
Ozzie Albies 0.329
Brian McCann 0.322
Tyler Flowers 0.314
Austin Riley 0.287
Ender Inciarte 0.287
Johan Camargo 0.260
Charlie Culberson 0.237

Pretty easy to understand 2 of Markakis/Joyce/Swanson should be batting 1st and 5th vs RHP.

Non "core" xwOBA vs LHP (min 50 PAs):

Austin Riley 0.454
Ozzie Albies 0.401
Dansby Swanson 0.388
Charlie Culberson 0.339
Ender Inciarte 0.309
Johan Camargo 0.305
Nick Markakis 0.292
Tyler Flowers 0.229

Again, easy to understand Albies and Swanson should be batting 1 and 5 vs LHP.

Also easy to understand why the Braves needed to acquire a RHH OFer at the deadline to start vs LHP. The hope now is that Riley comes back to fill that role, or Culberson can fake it a bit.
 
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This confirms that Markakis and Joyce are the same person, save the talisman Markakis hides in his neck that means he has to be an “everyday player” and face LHP.

Meanwhile: Swanson is a pretty damn solid player, and should probably be viewed as “Core’s Lite” even if he’s not full Banquet.
 
Enscheff said:
Earlier in the year, the mouth breathers were out in full force declaring how much better Acuna was batting in the #1 spot in the order. Everyone with half a clue realized the splits being referenced were small sample coincidental nonsense, but the drooling masses persisted.
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I don't remember this at all.

Solid analysis, and I'm not saying you are embellishing a bit I just really don't remember it being a thing.
 
Tapate50 said:
I don't remember this at all.

Solid analysis, and I'm not saying you are embellishing a bit I just really don't remember it being a thing.
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Oh I remember it. When the season started at Acuna was batting 4th and in a tiny slump, this board was lit up with calls for him to be moved to lead off as that’s where he hit better.
 
I think it is ultimately ok for the Braves to have stayed pat with Duvall/Riley/Camargo as hopeful RH options in the OF. While none of them were idea, I'm not sure that anyone they would have acquired was going to be a whole lot more dependable. Not even sure what RH bats moved so far from the deadline.

I actually thought a LH OF bat as insurance for Markakis/Inciarte would have been nice. My preference was Alex Dickerson.
 
Southcack77 said:
I think it is ultimately ok for the Braves to have stayed pat with Duvall/Riley/Camargo as hopeful RH options in the OF. While none of them were idea, I'm not sure that anyone they would have acquired was going to be a whole lot more dependable. Not even sure what RH bats moved so far from the deadline.

I actually thought a LH OF bat as insurance for Markakis/Inciarte would have been nice. My preference was Alex Dickerson.
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Why would they need Markakis/Inciarte insurance with Joyce already on the roster?

Anyone OK with Duvall/Riley/Camargo as RHH vs LHP should be over the moon happy with Joyce as a LHH vs RHP.
 
Duvall + Riley against lefties and Joyce + Neck against righties would be most ideal. Double OF platoon for the win.
 
thewupk said:
I'd easily plug Ender into Joyce's spot. But neither Ender or Neck will be platooned if they are healthy
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Depending on how various players play the last couple of weeks of the regular season, I think we could see a platoon of sorts where one of Ender/Muk sits against lefties.
 
Damnit. I was hoping to win James Randi's million dollar prize by proving Acuna had magic fairy dust depending on where he hit in the batting order.

Now I'm still poor aka still residing in Mississippi.
 
Enscheff said:
Earlier in the year, the mouth breathers were out in full force declaring how much better Acuna was batting in the #1 spot in the order. Everyone with half a clue realized the splits being referenced were small sample coincidental nonsense, but the drooling masses persisted.

Acuna's current 2019 splits are:

Batting 1st: .284/.364/.526 (.889 OPS)
Batting 4th: .278/.373/.481 (.854 OPS)

So please, stop the "Acuna thrives in the lead off spot" stupidity. Acuna should be the 2 hole hitter, followed by Freeman and Donaldson...every...single...day. That's "the core" of this offense. Period. End of discussion.
Click to expand...

Your post clearly shows Acuna with a 35 point advantage batting in the 1 hole.

Chalk one up for the mouth breathers.
 
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Enscheff said:
Why would they need Markakis/Inciarte insurance with Joyce already on the roster?

Anyone OK with Duvall/Riley/Camargo as RHH vs LHP should be over the moon happy with Joyce as a LHH vs RHP.
Click to expand...


At the time, I thought Joyce was castoff who wasn't good for much more than pinch hitting. I'm not sure that's wrong, but he's done well enough.

We're talking about the short side of a platoon and all of those guys have had moments of crushing LHP. Just not sure how much more you need to invest in part time players when you had bigger problems.
 
Guess I didn't see any bigger problems on this roster. It was BP and RHH OFer as the only real holes. AA fixed the BP, though he didn't address the LHP side of things, and ignored the OF.

Joyce had been hitting well in spot PAs with the platoon advantage, and always had. I think he was much better "insurance" for Markakis/Ender than any RHH option in the system, who would be needed regardless of anyone else's health..
 
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Enscheff said:
Guess I didn't see any bigger problems on this roster. It was BP and RHH OFer as the only real holes. AA fixed the BP, though he didn't address the LHP side of things, and ignored the OF.

Joyce had been hitting well in spot PAs with the platoon advantage, and always had. I think he was much better "insurance" for Markakis/Ender than any RHH option in the system, who would be needed regardless of anyone else's health..
Click to expand...

I think the FO has been hoping that the 2018 version of right-handed Camargo emerges in September/October. Or that the 2016-2017 version of Duvall emerges. Or that Riley figures out a few things on the fly. Or that Culberson finds a new stash of pixie dust. I list them in order of plausibility/likelihood.

If none of the above happens, then we are looking at carrying three catchers into the post-season and using those catchers heavily as pinch hitters.

I'm actually more concerned about how the lefties in the pen will fare in a series against the Dodgers or Cubs.
 
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