Lineup optimization is not a huge deal. According to Beyond the Box Score, an optimized lineup is worth roughly one win over an entire MLB season. Still, analytics should be used to to gain an advantage and advise actual baseball decisions. That’s the entire point of sabermetrics, right?
The answer is yes, if you were wondering. Sabermetrics are NOT an end-all/be-all, decision making tool. The entire point of sabermetrics is to provide more information and contextual data to assist in real-time decision-making. For lineups, it’s about optimizing the right players in the right situations. According to "The Book", the lineup spots ranked in order of avoiding outs are as follows;
#1, #4, #2, #5, #3, #6, #7, #8, #9
Quick summary of the spots; leadoff should be your best OBP guy, not necessarily your fastest.