Over the course of the 2018 regular season, Washington Nationals manager Davey Martinez penciled in his starting pitcher at the No. 8 spot of the batting order 29 times.
Prior to that, the last time any Nats manager batted his pitcher eighth was June 23, 2011, when Jim Riggleman slotted starter Jason Marquis there in what would be the former skipper’s final game before resigning due to the uncertainty surrounding his future with the team.
Needless to say, this hasn’t been a familiar sight for Nationals fans over the years. However, the team’s front office signaled it was ready to try some new strategies when it brought on Martinez, the right-hand man of Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon, last offseason.