tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12133335.post1790262143967028897..comments2024-02-13T06:56:14.486-05:00Comments on Walk Like a Sabermetrician: Hitting by Lineup Position, 2014 phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18057215403741682609noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12133335.post-79181373275485292802015-01-05T16:51:01.909-05:002015-01-05T16:51:01.909-05:00Interesting--I've never really looked at any h...Interesting--I've never really looked at any historical trends nor have I attempted to suss out what conventional wisdom was at any given point in history.<br /><br />One thing I wonder is if the priority for managers has changed over time. For instance, when you write out your lineup card, how do you start--does the best hitter get slotted #3, or does the guy with the most power get slotted #4, etc.? One could envision shifts in the game over time, with some eras in which the best power hitter is more likely to be the most productive overall hitter, and others in which high power might tend to come at an OBA cost. <br /><br />In 2014 (obviously one year of data does not a trend make, especially when a handful of extreme players can significantly influence the league totals), the NL #3 hitters have the highest ISO of any lineup spot, but the AL cleanup hitters have the highest ISO but their lower BA makes them less productive overall than #3 hitters.phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18057215403741682609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12133335.post-32687917671144996392015-01-05T13:11:19.103-05:002015-01-05T13:11:19.103-05:00I don't know when the trend to start one's...I don't know when the trend to start one's best batter at 3rd instead of 4th began, but it hasn't always been this way. I checked the 1960s and in only 2 out of 10 years did the third line-up slot have a better OPS+ than the clean-up slot had.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com