New St. Louis Cardinals manager Oli Marmol acknowledged in his introductory press conference that his lineup may look different depending on the opposition. This only provides a sliver of information and it is impossible to tell what kind of a tactical manager Marmol will be, but it is an encouraging sign that the Cardinals may be willing to play the match-up game next season.
Mike Shildt often set his lineup and did not change it based on the opposition. Even though an optimal batting order has been shown to only be worth about 5-15 extra runs over the course of the season, a ‘bad’ batting order is still something that fans get worked up over.