I don’t know who needs to hear this but it absolutely needs to be said loud and clear.
Shut THE FUCK UP about the the Cubs’ batting order right this second. Don’t send another text or tweet or ask your buddy at lunch what he thinks. Just drop it completely and don’t come back because you sound like a moron.
The dumbest thing Craig Counsell could do right now is start flipping guys around because someone had a good month and someone had a bad month. It would be so dumb I am struggling to find the right words to explain. Nevertheless I will try my best.
The Cubs are #1 in MLB in runs scored, runs per game, batting average, on base, stolen bases, offensive WAR, baserunning, RBIs and a bunch of other shit.
The Yankees are the only club in the same conversation and they’re using new technology with Babe Ruth 2.0 in the world’s smallest stadium against average competition to get those numbers.
If you want to make it fair, then you can reasonably say the Chicago Cubs are the best offensive team in baseball and it’s not that close.
So with that in mind, why are people obsessed with changing the batting lineup? And how much better than THE VERY BEST do you expect it to get?
Big leaguers love the predictability and routine of knowing their lineup spot. I know we went sideways on that concept with Joe Maddon but it’s true with little exception.
Some players might not care. But given a choice between consistently hitting in the same batting order, or changing depending on recent trends, almost every single player in MLB will take the consistency.
The sooner you find that order and settle in, the better it is for everybody. And I sincerely believe nearly every manager is working towards their main lineup from day 1.
Of course there’s exceptions. You could have a platoon lineups and injuries and a handful of rookies that you’re sorting out. There’s plenty of reasons to move a lineup around as we’ve seen for a long time with the Cubs.
But given a choice, you want something similar as much as possible because it helps your players every day. There’s so many micro-habits and idiosyncrasies and feelings that drive and influence a player’s attitude and actions. Changing the gatorade much less the music much less the guy who tapes ankles is enough to inspire dissent. And that’s largely because professional baseball players can be sensitive little pussies that can blame anyone but themselves for poor performance. Objectively it’s a delicate bunch.
So when you do change batting orders the way people are suggesting with the Cubs, you’re guaranteed to shake up more than who hits with 2 outs and runners in scoring position.
I know it sounds simple. I understand changing the batting order should be like a video game. After all they’re highly compensated professional athletes. They should be able to handle whatever job they’re assigned under the premise it’s best for the organization. Right?
And if my Grandma had balls she would be my Grandfather in most states.
It just doesn’t work like that.
Guys want their spot as soon as possible and they don’t want it to change. Especially when you’re leading MLB in nearly every statistic including a 1st place record against a historically difficult schedule.
So while it would be cool to have PCA leadoff, it’s also worth mentioning Ian Happ is on pace to score 130 runs.
And while Dansby Swanson blows right now, you should remember he’s streaky and finally healthy with a bunch of new swing thoughts and changes.
I can do this all day:
- Kyle Tucker could cool off like he did for all of Spring Training
- Michael Busch could just be hot like he was last year
- Seiya could get hurt again and again
- Nico Hoerner can’t hit for power
- PCA could be getting cupcake pitches in the 7 hole
- Amaya/Carson Kelly could both fall off a cliff tomorrow
- We still don’t have a 3rd baseman
My point is that a lot of things are going well right now. Despite all this above, we’re the #1 offense in baseball and that’s because things are all coming together at the correct time: patient approaches, dynamic threats and clutch hitting.
So with that in mind, it would be immeasurably stupid to go backwards and start flipping the order around to shake things up. There’s literally nothing to shake up so just sit back and enjoy a really good baseball team with a really good lineup.
PS – Seiya was a late scratch yesterday, so Justin Turner hit 3rd like he did when Seiya was hurt last week. That’s to keep everyone else in the same order position because Counsell values that at this point in time vs. a better 3 hitter than Turner. You can disagree but I think it’s the right decision, especially if Seiya isn’t going to the IL.
PPS – It’s actually impressive how much people are overlooking the 16-10 start. If you understood this the way I do, you would laugh in the face of anyone who wants to change anything. I’m doing my best to not be arrogant about the topic but holy fuck is this the dumbest thing I’ve ever had to address. Borderline depressing to know people want to change the lineup. Get a fucking grip.
PPPS – The yardwork is going pretty well so far today. Weather is gorgeous and I’m settling into a nice groove with the mulch. Thank you for asking