Bleg: What Would Be Your Preferred Lineup Article?
Every week, I write an article looking over lineups before the weekend FAAB and waiver wire adds. While I find it useful to go through each line and take notes on each team, I wondered how helpful they are to readers. I examine each team, find changes, and note them. I feel the article may be too long, with around 60 total bullet points. I’m thinking of some possible changes. I can’t add much more because the article is already quite time-intensive to write.
- It’s fine, don’t change a thing.
- Should I go with just the top-10 movers (up or down) with more details on the players involved?
- The same top-10 list, but keep the descriptions brief.
- Highlight (i.e., bold) the top movers in the normal article?
- Just one bullet per team?
- Any other suggestions?
Thanks for any of your suggestions.
–Jeff
Jeff, one of the authors of the fantasy baseball guide,The Process, writes for RotoGraphs, The Hardball Times, Rotowire, Baseball America, and BaseballHQ. He has been nominated for two SABR Analytics Research Award for Contemporary Analysis and won it in 2013 in tandem with Bill Petti. He has won four FSWA Awards including on for his Mining the News series. He's won Tout Wars three times, LABR twice, and got his first NFBC Main Event win in 2021. Follow him on Twitter @jeffwzimmerman.
Maybe it should just be one bullet per team if a platoon situation arises or is removed. And then if there is any new addition to a lineup or removal from one.
But no need for a player shifting a spot in the lineup or a player being in so many games in a row unless it was quite unexpected.
Thanks
It’s a good column, I read every single one. One change that might make it even better is citing more stats that are more useful in small samples (swst%, hh%, maxEV, k-bb), instead of triple slashes
OK
The purpose of the article is to highlight lineup trends so I don’t think you want to hamstring yourself by limiting it to one bullet per team. For me, the triple slashes are not useful at all – if you want to know the stats, click on the guy’s name. One other thing that’s interesting to me is that certain teams (Braves) don’t ever give guys rest or rotate in their bench – perhaps that would be useful info.
I think I’ll move to overall results. I find it tough to go all in on guy who is playing all the time with a .500 OPS. He’s not going to keep playing with low production.
Honestly, I really like the format the way it is. I read every bullet point and really learn a lot. I understand it is likely a lot of work but I commend you for it. One of my favorite series on here.
Thanks.
Hi Jeff, I like the format as it is. If you wanted to shorten it, you could eliminate some of the excerpts and just include the bullets with links to the article, like you already do. You could still include the excerpts for the top/most interesting stories and still have all the information available for the other items for anyone who clicks through to the article. I also have no complaints with the way you do it now and appreciate all the information you provide!
its fine, don’t change a thing
thanks
Do NOT change anything. I love you (and the article) just the way it is. If anything, add even more detail and more bullets. I’m in two incredibly deep leagues (one AL, and one NL), so every little bit of info helps.
It’s fine, don’t change a thing.
I mean, I like all of it just because of my general interest in baseball. It frequently has information that is not useful to the leagues I am in but I wouldn’t want to take away from what people in the deepest of leagues might like.
If you were trying to trim it down I guess I would prefer maybe a focus on those fringy guys that stand to the gain or lose the most value.
Thanks
Would be interesting to get some playoff preparation articles. Whose velocity is declining? Who has favorable matchups? Who plays better in the fall?
Hi Jeff, I love your lineup article—perfect length and really helpful info. Please keep all the details, and maybe add a quick “Top 10 Movers” section at the end for readers who want the biggest changes. Thanks for all your great work!
I’d go for: Go with just the top-10 movers (up or down) with more details on the players involved.
I like the article a lot and read them often.
I am mostly looking for increased decreased ––creased At-Bats to watch out for
so i really don’t need the triple slash lines
if you were look to trim some fat I’d start there
It’s fine, don’t change a thing!
Often imitated, never duplicated. Love your work, Jeff.
I actually really like the minutiae. Even if there’s a hint of someone losing playing time or being a part of a committee, it helps give me a better understanding of what might be going on for various teams. Maybe some others want you to get to the point, but I could read bullet points forever if you wanted to just let loose.
You stated it better than I could. The analysis and dealing with multiple points per team is so valuable in helping to analyze deep league situations.