Washington Nationals: 5 predictions on Dave Martinez’s style
By Ron Juckett
BAT THE PITCHER 8TH
A student of sabremetrics, Martinez will try batting the pitcher in the eighth-hole allowing for a double-leadoff hitter.
Maddon does this with the Chicago Cubs and other data-driven skippers experiment with the idea. When you consider the amount of speed in the Nats lineup, using a regular hitter last makes sense. For instance, Michael Taylor could hit ninth and have more chances to steal bases without Max Scherzer hitting behind him.
With starters rarely pitching past the sixth inning, by the fourth time through the lineup you have an American League-style offense anyway without the pitcher.
If Martinez can find a solid option to slot behind the pitcher, this might turn into a regular thing. The problem comes with how the rest of the lineup is constructed. If he leaves Anthony Rendon batting sixth, scoring him gets harder with the pitcher only two spots lower.
Still, Washington will try it. Who knows, you might like it.
Expect this to happen in April. If it works, it may turn into a regular thing. The key is finding the right hitter to bat last and not throwing another automatic out behind the pitcher.
Last year, the Matt Wieters/pitcher combo failed, especially in the fall. Another reason Martinez will gamble early this season.