Archive for Lineups

American League

Angels

• Brandon Drury (.824 OPS, 5 HR, 0 SB) has started in eight of the last 10 games.

• Chad Wallach (.978 OPS) and Matt Thaiss (.814 OPS) are splitting the catching duties. Read the rest of this entry »

American League

Angels

• Gio Urshela, Jake Lamb, Brandon Drury, and Luis Rengifo may not be startable or even rosterable until one wins a full-time starting spot between first and second base.

• Zach Neto (.136/.240/.227) has started six straight games. Read the rest of this entry »

American League

Angels

• Gio Urshela (.756 OPS, 0 HR, 1 SB) has started in all but one game and has played six games at shortstop.

• Brandon Drury (.556 OPS) may only be starting against lefties. Read the rest of this entry »

We’re only a week in, so our time is probably better spent on things other than hemming and hawing about hitters having good and bad starts. One week of games probably shouldn’t be changing our opinions of anyone but it can be useful to get an early handle on how and where players are being utilized. Things are going to change (and drastically!) but I like to take a long look at early-season lineups in order to get a rough handle on what managers are considering as their best bets for everyday lineups.

With that in mind let’s take a spin around baseball and see what can be gleaned from early lineups and possible platoons situations, starting with the National League. Read the rest of this entry »

American League

Angels

• Jake Lamb (.561 OPS) is playing first base against righties.

• Gio Urshela has started in five of six with two games at shortstop.

Astros

• David Hensley (Util-only) has started five of seven with three games at second so far. Mauricio Dubón is getting the other starts at second base.

• Two outfield spots are still are being split between Chas McCormick (1.016 OPS), Corey Julks (.668 OPS), and Jake Meyers (.473 OPS).

Athletics

• Seth Brown didn’t get platooned against the two lefties.

• Ryan Noda has started three straight at first base. He might be on the strong side of a platoon with Brent Rooker.

• Jace Peterson might be on the strong side of a platoon with Nick Allen on the weak side.

Blue Jays

• There looks to be some platoons forming with Brandon Belt and Cavan Biggio only facing righties.

• Kevin Kiermaier (5 starts in seven games), Whit Merrifield (5), and Santiago Espinal (2) don’t seem to have full-time roles.

Guardians

• Gabriel Arias has started in three of the last four games, all against a lefty starter.

Mariners

• Kolten Wong (vs RHP) and Sam Haggerty (vs LHP) seem to be in a second base platoon.

• Jarred Kelenic sat against both lefty starters.

Orioles

• Adam Frazier (1.127 OPS) has started in five of the last six games.

• Ramón Urías has only started in three of six games.

Rangers

• Josh Smith (.875 OPS), Brad Miller (.857 OPS), and Ezequiel Duran (.333 OPS) are splitting time between two lineup spots.

Rays

• A mess as normal.

• Isaac Paredes (vs LHP) and Taylor Walls (vs RHP) appear to be in a third base platoon.

Red Sox

• They’ve only faced one lefty and Rob Refsnyder played instead of Triston Casas.

Royals

• It’s Rays-like with a new lineups everyday, but with worse hitters.

Tigers

• Matt Vierling (1 HR, 1 SB, .885 OPS) is leading off against lefties and has sat only once.

• Nick Maton (vs RHP) and Jonathan Schoop (vs LHP) seem to be in a third base platoon.

• Ryan Kreidler (6 K in 13 PA) has started three straight games.

Twins

• Michael A. Taylor has starter every game as the centerfielder while batting ninth.

• Trevor Larnach has started every game.

White Sox

• With Eloy Jiménez out, it’s not obvious who will take his place with the candidates being Jake Burger, Romy Gonzalez, and Gavin Sheets.

Yankees

• One and a half (Stanton) outfield spots is being shared by Franchy Cordero (.556 OPS), Oswaldo Cabrera (.646 OPS), and Aaron Hicks (.125 OPS).

National League

Braves

• Travis d’Arnaud (.806 OPS) has started every game (four as DH).

• Eddie Rosario has only started against righties while Kevin Pillar and Marcell Ozuna have started against lefties.

Brewers

• Luke Voit, Owen Miller, and Mike Brosseau (leading off) have only started against lefties. Garrett Mitchell and Brice Turang have sat against both lefties they faced.

• Joey Wiemer (1.009 OPS) had started five straight.

Cardinals

• With Lars Nootbaar out, Alec Burleson (.938) has started in five of the last six games. He sat against the one lefty.

• Brendan Donovan sat against the one lefty with Tommy Edman then hitting leadoff.

Cubs

• Eric Hosmer (.706 OPS) has started in four of the five games.

Diamondbacks

• Josh Rojas (vs RHP) and Evan Longoria (vs LHP) are in a third base platoon.

• Alek Thomas (vs RHP) and Kyle Lewis (vs LHP) are in a platoon.

Dodgers

• Mookie Betts has three games so far at second base.

• Some nagging injuries (i.e. Vargas and Rojas) has mixed things up that last few days.

Giants

• They haven’t faced any lefty starters so the potential platoons aren’t obvious.

• Catcher-qualified Blake Sabol (.722 OPS) has started every game.

• Wilmer Flores has only started in two games so far.

Marlins

• Jon Berti has has started three straight at short with Joey Wendle on the IL.

• Bryan De La Cruz and Jesús Sánchez are splitting one outfield spot. It doesn’t seem to be a handedness platoon.

Mets

• Tommy Pham (vs LHP) and Daniel Vogelbach (vs RHP) seem to be in a platoon.

• Luis Guillorme (vs RHP) and Eduardo Escobar (vs LHP) are in a third base platoon.

Nationals

• Keep an eye on Alex Call, he might be on the short side of a platoon (Note: He is in Friday’s lineup versus a righty).

Padres

• David Dahl (.556 OPS), Rougned Odor (.422), and José Azocar (.844) are splitting time with one outfield spot.

• Nelson Cruz has only started twice, both times against a lefty.

Phillies

• Looks like Jake Cave (vs RHP) and Edmundo Sosa (vs LHP) are in a platoon.

Pirates

• Several guys are playing enough to be relevant (Suwinski, Smith-Njigba, Joe, Choi) but Ji Hwan Bae (1 HR, 2 SB, .708 OPS) has started five of six with three games at second base.

Reds

• Kevin Newman (.600 OPS) and Jose Barrero (.250 OPS) are sharing time at short. I’m not sure it’s a platoon.

Rockies

• Since joining the team, Jurickson Profar has leadoff every game.

American League

Angels

• Gio Urshela got the start at short with David Fletcher on the bench.

• Brandon Drury played first base with Jared Walsh on the IL.

Astros

• Mauricio Dubón started at second base with David Hensley as the DH.

• Jake Meyers started in center instead of Chas McCormick. Read the rest of this entry »

I started out wanting to see if a player stole more bases from one lineup slot compared to another one. Discussions around Trea Turner’s spot with the Phillies led me down this path. Last season, Turner had 603 PA from the 2nd and 3rd spot in the batting order and just 105 PA while leading off. He was on a 29 SB/600 PA pace from the leadoff spot and a pace of just 22 SB/600 PA from the other two. I wanted to see if the bump was normal and if not, what should I expect? What I found was a mess and don’t plan on regurgitating here. I put the “F- Around, Find Out” philosophy to work with over a day wasted to end up with three graphs and four actionable conclusions.

Read the rest of this entry »

American League

Angels

• Catcher-qualified Matt Thaiss (.614 OPS, 2 HR) has started in six of the last 10 games.

• Livan Soto (.333/.357/.513, 1 HR, 1 SB) has started in 11 of the last 12 games. He had 18 SB in AAA.

Astros

• No changes.

Athletics

• No one is rosterable.

Blue Jays

• Whit Merrifield (.718 OPS, 4 HR, 1 SB with Toronto) has started nine straight games.

• Raimel Tapia (.263/.287/.383, 7 HR, 8 SB) has started in 12 of the last 13 games.

Guardians

• Gabriel Arias (.716 OPS in AAA, .589 OPS in the majors) has started in five straight games.

• Will Brennan (.333/.400/.333, 2 SB) only faces righties.

Mariners

• Jarred Kelenic has started eight straight and has a 1.000 OPS with 3 HR since being recalled.

• Dylan Moore (6 HR, 21 SB, .744 OPS) has started four straight games (seven out of 10).

Orioles

• Nothing different.

Rangers

• No noticeable changes.

Rays

• In a weird sort of way, they have more regulars than guys sharing roles.

• Manuel Margot (.700 OPS, 3 HR, 7 SB) has started 10 straight games.

Red Sox

• Triston Casas (.843 OPS, 5 HR) has started 10 straight at first base.

Royals

• Edward Olivares (.786 Sep OPS) has started in 11 of the last 12 games.

• Nate Eaton (11 SB in 111 PA) has started in eight of the last 10 games.

Tigers

• Akil Baddoo (.229/.339/.396, 1 HR, 2 SB in September) has leadoff for the last two games.

Twins

• Ryan Jeffers (.218/.295/.381, 7 HR) has started two of three games since coming off the IL.

• Jake Cave (.653 OPS, 5 HR) has eight straight starts.

White Sox

• No noticeable change for this geriatric squad.

Yankees

• DJ LeMahieu is back so the infield will be back to cycling a player to the bench every game.

• Harrison Bader (.476 OPS with the Yankees) has started in eight of 10 games since returning from the IL.

National League

Braves

• Since September 9th, Vaughn Grissom is hitting .163/.250/.163 with a 29% K%. Because of those struggles, Orlando Arcia has started instead over the last three games.

Brewers

• Willy Adames, Hunter Renfroe, and Christian Yelich are the only guys not in some form of a timeshare.

Cardinals

• Albert Pujols is now back to only starting against lefties.

• Four outfielders (Yepez, Dickerson, Carlson, and Nootbar) are splitting time.

Cubs

• Such a hodgepodge of playing time and roles. It seems like whoever was in charge of the Rockies lineup decisions is now in charge of the Cubs.

Diamondbacks

• Pavin Smith (.218/.297/.371, 9 HR in 259 PA) is off the IL and has started four straight as the DH.

• Josh Rojas (20 SB) has made four straight starts (vs one LHP) with Emmanuel Rivera (.343 OPS over the last two weeks) heading to the bench.

Dodgers

• Steady.

Giants

• Brandon Crawford and Mike Yastrzemski are the only two regulars.

Marlins

• Jon Berti (38 SB) has leadoff for 10 straight games.

• A Jordan Groshans has started in nine of the last 10 games.

Mets

• No major changes.

Nationals

• CJ Abrams (5 SB) has hit second in the last three games.

Padres

• José Azocar (.641 OPS, 5 SB, 6 CS) has started in 11 of the last 12 games.

• Josh Bell (.573 OPS with the Padres) has only started in five of the last 10 games.

Phillies

• Nick Castellanos (.710 OPS) has started two of three games and hit sixth since returning from the IL.

Pirates

• Miguel Andújar (.574 OPS, 1 HR, 4 SB) has started three straight games, hit third or fifth, and played in leftfield since joining the Pirates.

• Ji Hwan Bae (.703 OPS, 2 SB) has started in five of the last six games.

• Cal Mitchell (.620 OPS, 5 HR, 3 SB in 224 PA) has started in eight of the last 10 games.

• Catcher qualified Zack Collins (.155/.231/.320, 4 HR) has started in seven of the last 10 games, six times at the first baseman.

Reds

• Jake Fraley isn’t even starting against all righties (two starts in the last five games).

• Stuart Fairchild (.803 OPS, 5 HR in 82 PA) has started in five of the last six games.

• Matt Reynolds (.665 OPS, 3 HR, 5 SB) has started in six of the last seven games.

Rockies

• Top prospect, Ezequiel Tovar, has started at short in five of the last six games.

• Alan Trejo (.770 OPS) has started in nine of the last ten games at second, third, and short.

• Sean Bouchard (.288/.472/.423, 2 HR) has started eight straight.

American League

Angels

• Catcher-qualified Matt Thaiss (.213/.296/.340, 2 HR) has started in six of the last 10 games.

• Matt Duffy (.630 OPS, 2 HR) has started in 12 of the last 13 games.

• The 22-year-old Livan Soto (6 HR, 18 SB, .281 AVG in AAA) has started in four of the last five games at short. Read the rest of this entry »

In some leagues, certainly not all but some, when a fantasy manager runs out of starts, they can still collect stats from relievers. Some ESPN leagues are set up this way. They have a limit on starts, but no limit on innings pitched. The rule is put in place so that managers cannot stream a pitcher every single day of the season, effectively juicing their strikeout and, possibly, win counting stats. This strategy would almost certainly ruin ratios and should not be utilized. I would be curious to see a simulation of how a fantasy team’s ERA/WHIP would pan out if they streamed an average starter every day of the season, but that’s for another time.

Today, I’m writing this article to simply show 10 relievers who are not closers and have recorded the most wins this season. For those who have reached a starter max but can still record reliever innings, pick up these pitchers now! For those who just need a few more wins, start utilizing (if you haven’t already, why?!) the Roster Resource Closer Depth Chart and stream these pitchers in favorable matchups or after a day of rest. Here are the non-closer relievers who lead MLB in wins this season:

Predicting reliever wins is a difficult task. In fact, Steamer (ROS) is over it. If we look at all relievers (0 IP min) from 2021 and all relievers (0 IP min) from 2022, the correlation coefficient between their win totals is 0.42, good for a 0.17 R-squared. I’m also including pitchers who recorded zero wins in both years, which inflates the R-squared slightly, but still seems informative.

The fact that we see very few, if any, relievers in the top right corner of the graph shows just how unrepeatable high win totals can be for relievers across multiple years. However, in season, out of all relievers who collected at least one win by mid-July in 2021, 57% of them collected a second win in the remainder of the year. Change that threshold to at least two wins by mid-July, and 67% of those pitchers collected at least one win in the back half of the season. Here’s a breakdown:

What can we make of this? Relievers who perform well enough to be awarded a win in the first half of the season continue to get chances in the second half of the season. This is probably still very random. If a reliever is used in the sixth, seventh, or eighth inning often, they are increasing their opportunities to snag wins. But even the correlation coefficient between first half of the season wins and second half of the season wins in 2021 was still only 0.38 (0.14 R-squared). Reliever wins are mostly random, just like the official scorer’s awarding of the win can sometimes be.

Take for example Diego Castillo’s most recent win which occurred on July 16th. First off, that was a long time ago and if you’re just looking at the table of relievers above and adding them to your roster, you’re not doing enough. Regardless, Castillo threw in a tied (2-2) bottom of the ninth inning against the Rangers. He walked a batter, forced a double-play ball, and then struck out the third batter he faced. The Mariners then scored in the top of the 10th and Matthew Festa shut the door to get the save, giving Castillo the win. However, Paul Sewald got three quick outs in the bottom of a tied (2-2) eighth inning and was awarded nothing! He didn’t even walk a batter as Castillo did. Castillo got the win, simply because his team scored in the half-inning after he pitched. Random.

If you’re here at FanGraphs reading about baseball, chances are you have heard about the randomness of the win. Some of you may have even dropped wins from your fantasy leagues’ roto categories. However, it remains a common category and I would bet that the vast majority of fantasy leagues still count the win. If that’s the case, and you could use a few more before the season ends, you should bank on the relievers who up until this point in the season have been recording wins. Just hope that you’re rostering them on the random day that they record another.