Who Bats Where?

A good percentage of comments on this blog relate to “who bats where” in the batting order.

• “Shohei should bat cleanup.”
• “Freddie should be the number three hitter.”
• “No, Freddie should hit second.”
• “Max Muncy should hit cleanup.”
• “Mookie should hit 9th.”

… and on and on…

Where should everyone hit?

A better question is: “Does it matter?’

Modern sabermetric studies have found that batting order matters, but the difference between a good lineup and a perfectly optimized lineup is usually only about 10 to 20 runs over an entire season, which translates to roughly 1 to 2 wins.

A few things do matter:

1. Your best hitters should get the most plate appearances
   • That’s why teams often hit stars like Shohei Ohtani or Mookie Betts near the top.
   • The leadoff hitter gets about 15-20 more plate appearances per season than the #2 hitter and roughly 70 more than the #5 hitter.
2. The #2 spot is often the most valuable
   • Traditional baseball put the “bat control” guy second.
   • Analytics showed that the #2 hitter comes up in many high-leverage situations while still getting nearly as many plate appearances as the leadoff man.
   • That’s why stars often hit second today.
3. Avoid stacking weak hitters
   • A lineup with three automatic outs in a row creates inning-killing dead zones.
4. Protection is mostly overrated
   • The old idea that a slugger hits better because another slugger bats behind him has very little statistical support.

For the Dodgers, the bigger issue isn’t whether Freddie Freeman hits second or third. It’s that they can roll out something like Ohtani, Betts, Freeman, Max Muncy, Will Smith, Andy Pages, and Dalton Rushing in the same lineup. The quality of the hitters matters far more than the exact order.

One famous quote from analyst and author Tom Tango captures it well:

“The best lineup is important. Getting the best players is far more important.”

In other words, Dave Roberts can spend hours deciding whether Freeman should hit second and Ohtani first, but he’d rather have eight great hitters arguing about lineup spots than eight average hitters perfectly arranged.

Charlotte Knights 4 – OKC Comets 3

LHSP Jackson Ferris gave up a solo HR in the 1^st.  In the 2^nd-4^th innings, he allowed a double but no runs.

In the OKC 3^rd inning, DH Zach Ehrhard drew a 1-out BB, and went to 3^rd on 3B Tommy Edman’s single.  Edman stole 2^nd.  Ehrhard scored the tying run when 1B James Tibbs III grounded out.  RF Jack Suwinski singled to score Edman.

https://twitter.com/OKC_comets/status/2066281040851734999?s=20

In the 5^th, Ferris walked the first batter.  The 2^nd batter reached on a fielding error.  A 2^nd BB loaded the bases. A 2-run single followed.  The next batter hit a sac bunt with the 3^rd run scoring and RHRP Ryder Ryan relieving Ferris.

Ryan and RHRP Carlos Duran shut down the Knights through the 8^th.

OKC scored a run in the 8^th to get closer.  A 2-out single by Edman and a run scoring double (17) by JTIII.  JTIII’s double was the only XBH for OKC.

https://twitter.com/OKC_comets/status/2066300665891111288?s=20

In his final rehab game, Tommy Edman went 3-4 and scored 2 runs.  He had the only multi-hit game for OKC.

#Dodgers OF prospect Zach Ehrhard in Triple-A since 5/1:

33 G
.342/.473/.592/1.065
.474 wOBA
174 wRC+
19.3 BB%
14.7 K%
7 HR
27 RBI

Absurd stuff from the 23-year-old who also plays all three outfield spots pic.twitter.com/gWXBLkICXb

— Bruce Kuntz (@Bnicklaus7) June 14, 2026

Box Score

Tulsa Drillers 21 – Wichita Wind Surge (Minnesota) 10

Tulsa scored in every inning they batted except the 2^nd.  Every Driller had at least 1 hit.

After four consecutive plus starts, LHSP Adam Serwinowski had a bit of a letdown.  He gave up a lead off BB and a two out run scoring double for a 1-0 lead.

Tulsa came back with authority.  They sent 12 to the plate and 6 scored.  DH Josue De Paula was issued a BB and RF Mike Sirota was HBP.  This was good to push his on base streak to 53.  SS Elijah Hainline singled to load the bases.  With one out, 3B Kyle Nevin singled in a run with the bases remaining loaded. 1B Chris Newell hit a SF for the Drillers 2^nd run.  CF Kole Myers hit an RBI single, and 2B Sean McLain blasted a 3-run HR (3).

https://twitter.com/TulsaDrillers/status/2066224770815791309?s=20

@TulsaDrillers Sean McLain clears the bases with a three-run shot. Game is only in the first and Tulsa has gone through the lineup and put up six runs. TUL 6 WCH 1 #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/NRpQdTabw9

— Dodgers_After_Duty (@msalas24) June 14, 2026

In the top of the 2^nd, Serwinowski gave up a solo HR.

In the 3^rd, McLain walked, stole 2^nd, and scored on JDP’s RBI single.

In the 4^th, Serwinowski allowed a double and BB before being lifted for LHRP Evan Shaw.  Shaw hit the first two batters he faced, forcing in a run, charged to Serwinowski.

In the bottom half of the 4^th inning, Hainline doubled and scored on a 2-out 2-run 1B Chris Newell HR (9).

With Shaw still pitching in the 5^th, he allowed a 2-out double and single putting runners on 1^st and 3^rd.  The lead runner scored on a WP.

In the bottom of the 5^th, newly signed catcher Hayen Gilliland (1) and JDP (11) hit solo HRs.

https://twitter.com/TulsaDrillers/status/2066248115888288058?s=20

…anyways

Top #Dodgers OF prospect Josue De Paula hit his 11th homer as part of a 3-for-3 day (so far). De Paula is up to a .335 AVG & 1.002 OPS on the season pic.twitter.com/gi7PgfKmiu

— Bruce Kuntz (@Bnicklaus7) June 14, 2026

In the 6^th, Shaw hit his 3^rd batter.  He got the ground ball but it was booted and runners moved to 1^st and 3^rd.  After 1 out, LHRP Christian Suarez came in to relieve Shaw.  Two WP and a two out single plated the two inherited runners.

In the bottom of the 6^th, Hope had a leadoff double.  Nevin and Newell walked to load the bases.  Myers hit a SF and with one out, Gilliland hit a 2-run single.

Suarez allowed three runs in the 7^th after a walk, single, WP and pickoff throwing error scored 1.  A two run double scored two more and RHRP Kelvin Ramirez relieved Suarez.  He gave up a solo HR before getting out of the inning.

Tulsa broke it open in the 7^th.  Sirota singled and Hainline doubled (10) him to 3^rd.  LF Zyhir Hope singled to score Sirota and Hainline to 3^rd.  Hainline scored and Hope to 2^nd on a double steal.  Nevin drew a BB.  Myers hit a RBI single scoring Hope.  McLain hit a 3-run HR (4) for his 2^nd 3-run HR of the game.   

https://twitter.com/TulsaDrillers/status/2066265523273294121?s=20

Nevin hit his 6^th HR in the 8^th.

RHRP Antonio Knowles finished the 9^th to end the game.

• Josue De Paula – 3-4, 2 BB, 2 runs, 2 RBI, HR (11)
• Elijah Hainline – 3-6, 3 runs, 2 doubles (10)
• Zyhir Hope – 2-6, 2 runs, 1 RBI, double (12)
• Kyle Nevin – 2-4, 2 BB, 4 runs, 2 RBI, HR (6)
• Kole Myers – 2-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI, SF
• Sean McLain – 2-4, 1 BB, 3 runs, 6 RBI, 2 HR (10)
• Hayden Gilliland – 2-4, 1 BB, 1 run, 3 RBI, HR (1)
• Chris Newell – 1-4, 1 BB, 2 runs, 3 RBI, HR (9)
• Mike Sirota – 1-4, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 2 runs

Box Score

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Wisconsin) 7 – Great Lakes Loons 3

RF Eduardo Quintero hit a 1-out double (13) and scored on a 2-out SS Emil Morales’ single.

After LHSP Sterling Patick retired the side in order in the first, the Loons got a pair of doubles by LF Samuel Munoz (5) and 2B Jose Izarra (8).

Everything went south from there.  In the 2^nd, Wisconsin scored on a HR of Patick.  In the 3^rd, Wisconsin scored a tying run after a single, WP, and double.  In the 4^th, with Patick still pitching, he allowed a BB, single, RBI single and SF to have a 4-2 lead.

In the top of the 5^th, Izarra had a 1-out single and moved to 2^nd on a fielding error.  Izarra scored on CF Chuck Davalan’s RBI single, climbing to within 1.

But in the bottom of the 5^th, Wisconsin scored three off LHRP Matt Lanzendorfer.  A HBP, BB, and a 3-run HR pushed the lead to 7-3.

Both teams went silent after the 5^th.

Jose Izarra was 2-3 with a double (8).  He was the only GL batter with more than one hit.  Eduardo Quintero (13) and Samuel Munoz had the other XBH for Great Lakes.

Box Score

Lake Elsinore Storm (San Diego) 8 – Ontario Tower Buzzers 7

Ontario jumped out to a lead in the 2^nd.  LF Brendan Tunink tripled (1) and scored ahead of DH Easton Shelton’s 20^th HR.

just a casual bomb out the ballpark.

Easton Shelton with a 2-R HR! pic.twitter.com/Wb5VfEr2W2

— Ontario Tower Buzzers (@towerbuzzers) June 14, 2026

Ontario scored another in the 4^th.  Shelton walked to lead off the inning. One out later, CF Landyn Vidourek also walked.  Shelton scored on a single by C Conner O’Neal.

Ontario’s RHSP Tyler Gough pitched 4 scoreless innings on 1 hit and 1 BB.  In the 5^th, Gough gave up a lead off single and then struck out the next batter before being relieved by RHRP Jose Cabrera, who lost control of the game. 

Cabrera faced 5 batters and did not record an out.  HBP, WP, BB, HBP, 2 run single, and BB.  Three runs in, and he left the bases loaded for RHRP Angel Cruz. Cruz walked the first three batters he faced for three runs.  After a K, Cruz hit another batter for another run.  He struck out the final batter of the inning.  Let’s tally that up.  13 batters came to plate:

• 5 BB
• 3 HBP
• 2 singles
• 3 strike outs
• 7 runs

In the 6^th inning, Ontario climbed back into the game.  With 1 out, Vidourek (5) and O’Neal (5) hit solo HR.  RF Mairo Martinus singled and RF Ching-Hsien Ko drew a BB.  3B Chase Harlan followed with a 2-run double (15).

RHRP Brock Stewart rehab appearance.  He allowed a single in his 1.0 IP with 2 K.  He threw 19 pitches (13 strikes).

RHRP Jesus Tillero pitched a scoreless 7^th and 8^th inning, with 1 hit and 1 K.  Tillero came back out on the 9^th, and on the 1^st pitch of the inning, the sailed out over the CF wall for a walk of HR, for a 9-8 win.

• Chase Harlan – 2-5, 2 RBI, double (10)
• Conner O’Neal – 2-3, 1 BB,1 run, 2 RBI, HR (5)
• Landyn Vidourek – 1-3, 2 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (5)
• Easton Shelton – 1-3, 2 BB, 2 runs, 2 RBI, HR (20)
• Ching Hsien-Ko – 1-3, 2 BB, 1 run, double (10)

https://twitter.com/towerbuzzers/status/2065646495572041843?s=20

Box Score