One of the biggest criticisms of Brian Snitker coming into 2020 was his seeming resistance of adapting to the current style of baseball. He is still not a perfect manager, and he has likely had his hand forced due to extenuating circumstances, but this season he has proven a willingness to rotate positions, give his players regular rest, and tinker with his lineup.
Case in point: after years of batting third in the Braves’ lineup with few exceptions, Freddie Freeman batted second yesterday and will bat there again tonight. What is this sorcery??
It’s true, the vertically gifted first baseman sits in the second spot in the lineup, flanked by Dansby Swanson and Travis d’Arnaud on either side.