Lineup and Batting Order: Arranging the Titanic's Deck Chairs

[imref]

Davey says Chaparro will play 1B/DH and alternate with Yepez.

[Elvir Ovcina]

or Baker.

Baker can't do even half of what Vargas does.  Vargas is a switch hitter who backs up 5 positions, including SS, and doesn't hit much but isn't god-awful either from either side. 

Baker is a lefty hitting backup 2B/LF who likely wouldn't hit much either but only does it from one side.  On rosters with 13 position players, it's pretty hard to make it as a bench guy unless you're either a good hitter or can back up CF, C, or SS. 

[Smithian]

Davey says Chaparro will play 1B/DH and alternate with Yepez.

Play him every damn day even if he gets cold fast. The AAA numbers were absurd and now he comes up and gets a couple hits out the gate.

[imref]

Hopefully he’s the second coming of Meneses.

[Lintyfresh85]

... but good, long term

[IanRubbish]

Play him every damn day even if he gets cold fast. The AAA numbers were absurd and now he comes up and gets a couple hits out the gate.

I thought he was getting a lot of 4,000 foot benefit, but he's been solid at sea level.  We don't have a high bar for power with this franchise so if he gets cold but can keep a high 1's ISO he's a keeper.

[Slateman]

If Chapparo or Yepez can even be a platoon bat for DH or first, its a huge grab by Rizzo

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I'm starting to love the exit velocities. Wood I think had EVs over 100 on 3 out of his 4 hits, and his 4th was 99.5. Chappy hit it hard too.

Wood is 4th in MLB in average EV at 94.9, behind Judge, Ohtani, and Oneil Cruz. ##5-10 are Soto, Stanton, Guerrero, Devers, Schwarber, and Ketel Marte. Pretty good company. You could do worse than that as your batting order (bench Stanton because he's always hurt ).

[Elvir Ovcina]

I'm starting to love the exit velocities. Wood I think had EVs over 100 on 3 out of his 4 hits, and his 4th was 99.5. Chappy hit it hard too.

Wood is 4th in MLB in average EV at 94.9, behind Judge, Ohtani, and Oneil Cruz. ##5-10 are Soto, Stanton, Guerrero, Devers, Schwarber, and Ketel Marte. Pretty good company. You could do worse than that as your batting order (bench Stanton because he's always hurt ).

Might be a rough defense:

Schwarber C, Guerrero 1B, Marte 2B, Cruz SS, Devers 3B, Judge CF, Soto RF, Wood LF, Ohtani DH.  I mean, that's one guy who has played every position and most even do it regularly, but...

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Might be a rough defense:

Schwarber C, Guerrero 1B, Marte 2B, Cruz SS, Devers 3B, Judge CF, Soto RF, Wood LF, Ohtani DH.  I mean, that's one guy who has played every position and most even do it regularly, but...

C is the stretch.

[Elvir Ovcina]

C is the stretch.

It's the stretch, but most of those other dudes aren't exactly Gold Glove candidates either.  It just happened to work out pretty well in terms of positioning.  That'd be a horrible defensive team with some very unhappy pitchers, but damn would it score some runs.

[blue911]

I’d quit before I played third against Judge

[Smithian]

C: Ruiz
1B: Yepez
2B: Garcia
3B: Tena
SS: Abrams
LF: Wood
CF: Young
RF: Crew
DH: Chaparro

I want to see this setup in September. That’s a lineup I’d be excited to watch. No true dead weight.

[imref]

C: Ruiz
1B: Yepez
2B: Garcia
3B: Tena
SS: Abrams
LF: Wood
CF: Young
RF: Crew
DH: Chaparro

I want to see this setup in September. That’s a lineup I’d be excited to watch. No true dead weight.

Swap House for Tena.

[rileyn]

Swap House for Tena.

Charlie Slowes last night in the 9th inning said about Tena's defense at 3rd, "Sometimes it's like he has never played the position before."

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Tena is learning 3rd mostly on the fly with little time there.

his primary position in the minors the past 3 years has been SS.  He had close to 2000 innings at SS in the minors with Cleveland from 2022-24, 147 innings at 3rd, and about 550 at 2nd (about 400 in 2022).  So yes, Charley, Tena is more or less being asked to pick up a position he hasn't played much in the minors.

I think it's revealing that, in the 9th, he made a mistake pealing back to 3rd on a bunt rather than fielding it and  getting the out at 1st. his other mistake earlier in the game was charging to pick up a ball with a runner approaching him going to 3rd. You don't get that sort of play at SS. he did start an around the horn DP, but he was able to sit back, field it on a bounce, and just make a good throw to 2nd.

[varoadking]

Tena is learning 3rd mostly on the fly with little time there.

his primary position in the minors the past 3 years has been SS.  He had close to 2000 innings at SS in the minors with Cleveland from 2022-24, 147 innings at 3rd, and about 550 at 2nd (about 400 in 2022).  So yes, Charley, Tena is more or less being asked to pick up a position he hasn't played much in the minors.

I think it's revealing that, in the 9th, he made a mistake pealing back to 3rd on a bunt rather than fielding it and  getting the out at 1st. his other mistake earlier in the game was charging to pick up a ball with a runner approaching him going to 3rd. You don't get that sort of play at SS. he did start an around the horn DP, but he was able to sit back, field it on a bounce, and just make a good throw to 2nd.

Yeah, between Call's throwing error and this mental error, Finnigan was forced to walk Schwarby to fill the bases.  Otherwise, maybe there is no bunt and the double play is in order, or it's just runners at first and second and Finnegan looks to get Schwarby to hit into a DP.  If he simply get's that second out, maybe he pitches Trea differently, or our gold glove left fielder is playing back with two outs and makes a catch on Trea's ball for the third out...

Couldn't put that in the GDT before it closed...

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Couldn't put that in the GDT before it closed...

what sort of jackass closes threads . . . oh, wait, I think I just saw him in the mirror

[Slateman]

Yeah, between Call's throwing error and this mental error, Finnigan was forced to walk Schwarby to fill the bases.  Otherwise, maybe there is no bunt and the double play is in order, or it's just runners at first and second and Finnegan looks to get Schwarby to hit into a DP.  If he simply get's that second out, maybe he pitches Trea differently, or our gold glove left fielder is playing back with two outs and makes a catch on Trea's ball for the third out...

Couldn't put that in the GDT before it closed...

Meh, they just saved Finnegan some pitches

[imref]

Take out that first game with 3 doubles, and Andres Chaparro has been worse than Gallo: .143 / .250 /.143 in his next six games.

[nobleisthyname]

Take out that first game with 3 doubles, and Andres Chaparro has been worse than Gallo: .143 / .250 /.143 in his next six games.

I think we should give him more than a week's worth of games if the alternative is giving PAs to Gallo. Also, what does Gallo's season line look like if you also take away his top 14% performance games?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I'm perfectly fine with giving Yepez, Chaparro, and Tena full time playing time for the last quarter of the season to see if one of them can be a starter for 2025 and beyond.

[Smithian]

Take out that first game with 3 doubles, and Andres Chaparro has been worse than Gallo: .143 / .250 /.143 in his next six games.

I'm fine give Chaparro a few weeks of hitting. We're not trying to win anything.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Take out that first game with 3 doubles, and Andres Chaparro has been worse than Gallo: .143 / .250 /.143 in his next six games.

and, of course, Chappy doubles the night after this post.

[imref]

and, of course, Chappy doubles the night after this post.

gotta give credit to slateman for inventing the reverse jinx.