When Blake posed the question on who should bat leadoff for the Cardinals, it got me thinking about the rest of the lineup. Namely, it got me thinking: purely by the numbers, what is the best lineup optimization. That’s right, folks. We’re going The Book old school on the lineup. What does The Book say about how the Cardinals should form their lineup?
Few things first for folks unaware on things The Book says about lineup optimization. The best hitters should bat 2nd and 4th. The 4th place hitter has a guaranteed important spot in their first plate appearance no matter what: they either bat with a runner or runners on or they lead off the next inning.