National League Lineup Analysis: April 4, 2019

Heading into the season, there were a number of playing time situations that were still unsettled. Now that we have a week’s worth of games behind us, some of the mysteries have been solved — or at least recognizable lineup patterns are starting to take shape.

Let’s take a trip around the National League and see what’s been happening on lineup cards.

Arizona

• It was surprising to see Jarrod Dyson get two of the first three starts in center field, but Ketel Marte appears to be settling in as the regular, making four straight starts there. However, the last three starts have all been against lefties, so it remains to be seen how the Marte/Dyson split will develop when right-handed pitchers are starting.
• Marte’s string of starts in center field has helped to stabilize Wilmer Flores‘ playing time, as he has started three of the last four games at second base.
• Jake Lamb’s left quad injury could open up everyday playing time for Christian Walker. He has started all four games that featured an opposing lefty and he batted fourth or fifth in each of those contests.
• As one would expect, splitting catching duties three ways is doing none of the Diamondbacks’ backstops any favors. Alex Avila has the early lead in starts with three (out of seven total games).

Atlanta

• The Braves had the same defensive lineup for each of the first four games, which were all against a right-handed starter, with the lone exception of starting Tyler Flowers over Brian McCann at catcher in Game 2. In facing Jon Lester on Wednesday night, the string of righties was broken, and Brian Snitker sat Ender Inciarte, shifted Ronald Acuña from left to center field and gave Johan Camargo his first start in left field.
• Snitker also went with identical batting orders through the first four games, keeping the seventh spot for his catchers. Against Lester, he moved Ozzie Albies from sixth to the leadoff spot, with Camargo batting sixth.

Chicago

• For the most part, Joe Maddon has had a pretty steady lineup, with second base and left field against righties being the biggest wild cards. David Bote and Mark Zagunis were the respective starters at those positions in all three of the games that have featured opposing lefties. Daniel Descalso got two of the three starts at second base versus righties, with Ben Zobrist getting the third, while in left field, Zobrist, Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber got one start apiece. Going forward, we should expect Schwarber to get the bulk of the left field starts against righties, since he was busy filling the DH slot in the opening series at Texas.
• Maddon seems to be committed to leading Zobrist off against righties, even if he is not committed to playing him at a particular position. Albert Almora Jr. has been the leadoff hitter for all three of the Cubs’ games against lefties.

Cincinnati

• The Reds have yet to face a left-handed starter, and they are not projected to face one until their April 15-17 series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.
• Derek Dietrich received back-to-back starts at second base on Tuesday and Wednesday. Jose Peraza started the first of those games at shortstop and was out of the lineup for the second of those games.
• Scott Schebler, who is off to an 0 for 17 start, is the only Reds outfielder to start all six games. Yasiel Puig has started five, Jesse Winker has been in the starting lineup four times and Matt Kemp has three starts.
• Winker has hit leadoff in each of the games he has started, with Schebler filling that spot when Winker has been out of the lineup.

Colorado

• Garrett Hampson’s fantasy owners might be able to rest easy. Since Daniel Murphy fractured his finger, Hampson has started four of five games at second base. During the same stretch, Ryan McMahon has also started four of five games (three at first base, one at second base), and Mark Reynolds has started three games (twice at first base, once at DH). Reynolds got the start at first base for the lone game in which the Rockies have faced a lefty starter.
• Hampson has been in the bottom third of the lineup against righties, but he was moved up to the second spot when the Rockies faced Blake Snell. Since Murphy’s injury, David Dahl has batted second against right-handed starters.

Los Angeles

• Max Muncy has started all three games in which the Dodgers have faced a righty, but just one of the four games where they have been opposed by a lefty starter. While this is not surprising, it is not a good development for Muncy, given how lefty-heavy the NL West is.
• Also as expected, Joc Pederson and Chris Taylor are platooning in left field.
• Enrique Hernandez has started six of seven games, all at second base. It appears that Dave Roberts is making good on his intention to use him as his regular second baseman. He has also been batting leadoff against lefties, with Pederson getting the nod versus righties. With steady playing time, Hernandez has a shot at finishing as a top 12 second baseman.
• Austin Barnes and Russell Martin have alternated starts at catcher through the first seven games.

Miami

• The Marlins have been going with a pair of straight platoons: Neil Walker and Martin Prado at first base and J.T. Riddle and Miguel Rojas at shortstop.
• Lewis Brinson has started all seven games in center field. Rosell Herrera, Curtis Granderson and Peter O’Brien appear to be in a rotation (with no platooning) for the other two outfield spots. Since Garrett Cooper went down with a calf injury, Herrera has started four of five games, while Granderson and O’Brien have three starts apiece.

Milwaukee

• Like the Reds, the Brewers have yet to face a lefty starter. We will get our first look at their lineup against a southpaw when they host Jose Quintana and the Cubs on Friday night.
• The worries over Jesus Aguilar’s playing time were probably for naught. He has started six of the Brewers’ seven games.
• Ben Gamel has picked up three starts, two at the expense of Ryan Braun in left field.

New York

• Jeff McNeil has started five of the Mets’ seven games to date — three times at third base and twice in left field. However, Wednesday’s game at the Marlins was the first time that McNeil was out of the lineup against a righty, and it was because he had aggravated a knee injury he sustained in spring training. As long as he is healthy, we should be able to count on McNeil starting against right-handed pitchers and getting in the lineup at least occasionally against lefties.
• J.D. Davis has already made four starts, though if McNeil had been healthy for Wednesday’s game, he may have only made three starts. He has been in the lineup for both games that featured left-handed opposing starters, and he hit in the cleanup spot for both games.
• Peter Alonso is not getting eased in. He has batted second in all but one game so far.

Philadelphia

• Here’s yet another team that has seen nothing but right-handed starters facing them. That trend will likely continue through their upcoming series versus the Twins and Nationals.
• Gabe Kapler has used the exact same lineup and batting order (excepting pitchers, of course) in every game so far.

Pittsburgh

• Five starting lineups so far for the Pirates, five righty starters opposing them. We may have to wait until Monday, when the Pirates will go to Wrigley Field and face Jon Lester, to see what their lineup will look like against a left-handed starter. Until then, we should figure that Adam Frazier will remain in the leadoff spot, where he has been in every game to date.
• With Corey Dickerson going on the IL with a shoulder strain, J.B. Shuck is taking his place in left field for Thursday night’s game against the Reds. It will be Shuck’s third start of the year.
• Colin Moran and Kevin Newman will be doing defensive drills in the outfield, so both could be candidates to fill in for Dickerson, who could be out for as long as a month.
• On Thursday night — and for the second game in a row — Francisco Cervelli will hit in the third spot in the order, where Dickerson had been through the Pirates’ first three games.

San Diego

• The infield alignment has been stable over the Padres’ first seven games, but it’s the outfield that everyone has their eyes on. Wil Myers, Manuel Margot and Franmil Reyes appear to be the regulars, as Myers has started all but one game, and Margot and Reyes have missed just two starts. Right-handed Hunter Renfroe has started in only one of the three games where the Padres have encountered a left-handed starter.
• Ian Kinsler has led off every game but one, and Reyes has hit in the cleanup spot in every game he has started. Fernando Tatis had hit in the sixth spot in every game until Wednesday’s tilt with the Diamondbacks, for which he batted seventh.

San Francisco

• The Giants faced a lefty starter in five of their first six games, and Connor Joe started in left field for each of those five contests. Yangervis Solarte got the start in left field against the lone righty, but in Wednesday night’s game against the Dodgers, Gerardo Parra was in the starting lineup against right-handed Ross Stripling. With Kevin Pillar now in place as the Giants’ center fielder, Solarte may be the odd man out when righties are on the mound.
• Steven Duggar has led off in six of the seven games, and in four of the five games started by an opposing lefty. Brandon Belt batted second in three games with a lefty starter, but bear in mind that he has a .221/.310/.354 slash line against left-handed pitchers since 2017.

St. Louis

• Prior to Wednesday night’s game at Pittsburgh, Jose Martinez and Tyler O’Neill had each started just one game. Martinez was tabbed for the start in left field on Wednesday night, as Marcell Ozuna was scratched with tightness on his right side. Should Ozuna be out for an extended period of time, it should mean more starts for Martinez and/or O’Neill during his absence.
• For Wednesday night’s game, Martinez slid right into the cleanup spot normally reserved for Ozuna. Perhaps Mike Shildt will plug whoever is playing left field into that spot, regardless of who is playing there.

Washington

• The Nationals are our final entrant into the All-Righties-All-The-Time Club. However, their streak of six straight games against a right-handed starter is set to end when they face Steven Matz and the Mets on Saturday. We should expect to see Adam Eaton out of the lineup for the first time this season then, probably in favor of the just-activated Howie Kendrick.
• So far, Yan Gomes has started four of the Nationals’ six games behind the plate.
• As expected, Wilmer Difo has made both of the starts at shortstop since Trea Turner went on the IL with a broken finger. Brian Dozier has moved up from the seventh spot in the order to the second spot in Turner’s absence.