A few weeks ago, I listened to a podcast show. In the show, the host indicated that a team has a serious problem. The problem is that the team’s lineup might not be deep enough. He demonstrated that the first 4 batters in the lineup are outstanding, however, the other players in the lineup didn’t contribute much.
After listening to a podcast show, I was just thinking about a question. By far this season, which team’s first 4 batters in the lineup are the most difficult to face?
To understand a little bit more, I went to check on the great Fangraphs website.
Firstly, the Atlanta Braves currently have an OPS of .838, which ranks first among 30 MLB teams. And, looking at the first 4 batters of their lineup, the OPS is nearly .900. Ronald Acuna Jr. has done a lot of damage while batting first as he already blasted 20+ home runs. Matt Olson has 18 home runs when he bats second and while batting 4th, Olson has 7 home runs so far. Moreover, Austin Riley hits 14 HRs while he’s batting third. Furthermore, Sean Murphy has 11 home runs when he’s in the 4th spot.
At the same time, Mookie Betts bats first, Freddie Freeman bats second. With these 2 former MVPs in the team, there’s no doubt that the Dodgers can build a good lineup. By far this season, the first 4 batters in the Dodgers lineup have an OPS of .872, which is the second best in the majors. Moreover, the first 4 batters in the Dodgers lineup already crushed 79 home runs this season. The Dodgers now blasted 135 home runs thus far, as such, more than 50% of home runs came from the first 4 batters in the lineup, additionally, they now have 197 walks.
In addition, in the AL West, the Rangers are now leading the division. They have been hitting very well so far with an OPS over .800. Furthermore, the first 4 batters in the Rangers lineup already collected 248 RBI. Marcus Semien, who bats first for the Rangers most of the time, is an All-Star. Corey Seager, who has an OPS over 1.000 while batting second for the Rangers, is selected to the All-Star game. Meanwhile, Adolis Garcia, who has 21 home runs while batting fourth for the Rangers, is an All-Star.
In the meantime, let’s take a look at the Angels. The Angels are third in the AL West and have an OPS of .776, which ranks 4th among 30 MLB teams. A key fact is that the first 4 batters in the Angels lineup are hitting very well. And, without doubts, we have to talk about Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. They each now have 14 home runs while batting second for the Angels. And, while batting third, Ohtani has 17 HRs and Trout has an OPS over .800. However, Trout is currently on the IL. That might cause a huge problem in the Angels lineup.
Finally, the Rays, the Diamondbacks, the Reds and the Red Sox certainly have done a great job to put the right players to bat from 1st to 4th. The first 4 players from these teams’ lineups each post an OPS over .800.
While reviewing the performance of the first 4 players in the lineup from 30 MLB teams, it’s quite clear that for most MLB pitchers, they have to be very careful when facing the first 4 batters in the Dodgers’ and the Braves’ lineups. Those players who bat at the top of the order and at the cleanup spot from these 2 teams can surely do damage if a pitcher makes a mistake.
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