Optimizing Batting Orders: What's Your Approach?

[KG Erwin]

Ok, this is getting into geekdom, so bear with me. Everyone wants the perfect batting order, don't they?

What criteria do you use to set your batting order?

Personally, I use a mix of the traditional theories and my own idiosyncracies. How these work in PS is still a mystery to me, as there's the notorious "random factor", which I suppose is the code equivalent of pure dumb luck.

I use a mix of OBP/BA plus the PS factors of CH, PH and SP. As in real life, platooning in the strictly lefty/righty mode doesn't really apply. I've found lefty batters who excel versus LHP, but don't necessarily hit well against RHP.

Every single game, I peruse my team stats and make my lineup decisions. My Dodgers are fairly deep in some positions, so-so in others. A key thing to me is always starting a fully rested player, and giving the bench players plenty of opportunities. The AI is weak in doing this.

It's really alchemy, isn't it? A mix of science, art, gut feelings and rubbing the ol' rabbit's foot.

[Frozen Stiffer]

KG,

I too have struggled with this, but only with my fictional association. When I replayed the 1997 Marlins and the 1986 Red Sox, I did my best to keep the lineups as close to the actual lineups of their respective days. When it comes to my two fictional associations (and my real Marlins association which is growing well past the period for which I have lineup referrence) I have found it difficult to select a theory to base the lineups on.

I have tried both the "traditional" path as well as a more modern outlook where their placement is determined by OBP. I must admit however, that the OBP idea looks good in theory, imploding during the application phase. I say this because the two years I tried it, I found my team to perform as well as, and no better than, the "traditional lineup method" years. The major difference was that when allowing myself to be guided by OBP percentages, I found myself shifting people around. Slumps were much less forgiving with the OBP method than with the traditional method. Lineups were shuffled almost weekly and there was no consistency. Granted, there must be some advantage and logic to it all, or we would have had a disasterous year, but nothing that I felt was worth all the follow-through.

[Nukester]

Im probably much more of a traditionalist with batting order.

I try to get one of the fastest starters at the top of the lineup, but not at the expense of OBP. So while Id rather have a high OBP with speed, I wont put the speedy guy there if he cant get on base (he would probably end up at #9). Ill look at the fastest starter and go down the list according to speed until I find someone that is speedy and has a good OBP.

#2 in the lineup is pretty much the same, but I will put a slower guy there if neeed, if he has a high OBP.
#3 in the lineup is usually my best hitter, in both batting avg and power
#4 is usually the next best hitter power and BA wise
#5 again I look for power and BA
#6 is usally that guy that can hit the bombs but has the .240 BA. Sometimes Ill put a better OBP guy here instead and put the power/low BA guy #7

#8 or #9 depending on AL or NL (I usually play as the Highlanders/Yankees in AL so Ill go with that, so Ill say this is #8) is the guy that cant really hit to well, and doesnt have any speed

#9 is the guy with decent speed that isnt as good of a hitter to get him into the #1 or #2 spot

[KG Erwin]

FS, I suppose this thread was a waste of time, as it boils down to experience and gut feeling.

For newbies to the game, then, read what the real-life managers have said. It's out there, in chapter and verse, but no one has yet written a "magic formula". Why? Because it can never exist.

In the meantime, I'll go back to the dugout and "play it by ear", as I've always done.

[Frozen Stiffer]

KG, though I will agree that a lot of it is gut feeling, I will not agree that this thread was a waste of time.

Any thread that gets people thinking and talking about the game of baseball, and Puresim as well, it a positive thread. If it has 2 replies or 2000 it's all about loving, living and appreciating this wonderful sport.

[KG Erwin]

Thanks, FS. Nukester's traditionalist approach approximates my own.

As for the game's AI, I've noticed a tendency to shake things up sometimes, which is refreshing to see. In one game the Cardinals put Stan Musial in the leadoff spot. Unconventional, yes, but the AI routines are better than one might suspect.

As for Nukester's recommendations -- my number 6 guy is usually Eddie Stanky, who's hitting around .250 but has 4 HR and 32 RBI. This is an argument towards spacing out your RBI leaders throughout the lineup.

The obvious bromide would be to say "maximize your team's strengths", but even this can be tricky.

It doesn't need to be said that if you make it to a championship series, these decisions can be critical.

[RedSoxFan67]

KG ...  ... this is what the forum is about ... nothing here is a waste of time ... it just you have more courage for inputting in ... to see what others are thinking about in those line of interest ... I am a strong traditionist - agreeing with Nukester's approach ... keep up the good flow, guys
 
Tomas

[GNDN]

I have always believed in speed and contact, I abhor the strikeout.  I am a big believer that if you make an out, at least put the ball in play and force them to put you out.  I love stealing bases since a fast runner will often drive the pitcher to distraction and the threat of them running on your OF is always high.
 
To that end, I believe in high contact guys with speed at 1 & 2.  At 3 & 4, I like my best overalls hitter in terms of contact and power.  5 is a guy who can hit well and protect my clean up hitter.  6, 7 & 8 tend to be my weakest hitters although I will try to sprinke in some speed as to not to have slow guys on base should I get back to the top of the order.  I play a NL team so number 9 is the pitcher.
 
Since I play in the modern era, I try to have a mix of lefty and righty batters and my love affair with the switch hitter borders on the immoral.
 
I have no problem moving up hot hitters in my line-up and moving down cold ones.  I guess I use some science and some feel overall.