Crafting SBL's Most Optimal Batting Order

Everyone has an idea of what a batting order should look like. Over recent years, an influx of data has swayed skippers into altering their stance towards previous notions which has shifted how an everyday order is crafted. Using the numbers SBL has made available, I tried my hand at making the most optimal lineup - positions considered - the league has to offer:

Lead-off - (L) 2B - Pingu Flipperson: For second base, it came down to the speedy Flipperson and the sure-handed Delvin Rooks. Given the prompt, we aren't overly concerned with a player's ability to field -- though we are keeping a sense of realism by picking a player at each position. Flipperson swung the better bat in the minors, leading all second baseman with a gaudy .374 on-base percentage. That number is incredibly important to us, as we need our lead-off man to help set the table for our power bats down the line. In a perfect world, Flipperson is knocking gappers for extra-base hits all season long, but his ability to swipe bags at a league-high rate is a welcomed bonus.

2 - (S) RF - Caleb Marko: We're bending the rules a bit here - though I didn't really establish any to begin with. No right fielder was picked in last week's S1 Draft, but we are absolutely certain we want Caleb Marko to take the role in this lineup.

The analytics say a team's best hitter should bat second - not third or fourth, contrary to previous beliefs. The Yankees bat Aaron Judge second, the Angels have used Mike Trout there for several seasons, one of the leagues's leaders in analytic-driven data, the Houston Astros, have used Jose Altuve in that spot for years, the Red Sox started having Rafael Devers bat second after he broke-out last year - all the smart teams (with the best offenses) in the MLB have came around to this idea. Marko is our most well-rounded batter and our best option for this spot. He's a switch hitter which gives us ultimate lineup flexibility and prevents the opposing team from playing the bullpen game, and he possesses the best power-speed combination among all of the available outfielders (.528 slugging with 11 stolen bases).

3 - (L) 1B - Rocky Mitchell: It's imperative to get plenty of power out of your first baseman. First base isn't an easy defensive assignment, but compared to the other spots on the field the physical demand isn't overly taxing. They need to produce runs, and Mitchell can do that for us out of the 3-spot. His 36 homers led the SBLM, and his .365 OBP is nothing to scoff at. Carlos Delgado would have been a fine pick here, but Mitchell walks more, strikes out less, and hits more bombs - seems like a simple enough choice.

4 - (R) LF - Kurtis McKenzie: McKenzie could bat anywhere from 2-through-4, but we have him here in the clean-up spot to make sure we have a nice balance of righties and lefties mixed throughout the lineup. The power-based left fielder knocked 34 dingers in Season 0, leading the league with a .541 slugging percentage. With a couple of guys who know how to get on base in front of him, McKenzie's multi-run blasts could turn the tide of a game in an instant.

That's now three straight players with a .900-plus OPS - we aren't going to have a whole lot of trouble scoring runs with this lineup.

5 - (S) C - Cáramel Delight: Can never have enough switch hitters. There are a number of ways to approach the five spot. We could keep adding to the power bats, or maybe add a No. 2 leadoff-type to reset the order. Personally, I prefer to have somebody I can trust can have good at-bats and calm the lineup down. The top of the lineup is filled with mashers, and strikeouts are going to come with the territory. Apart from Delight's ability to control the defense from behind home plate, the star catcher can also take control of the team with a timely at-bat or two. There will be plenty of chances to knock in a run or two with the elite power earlier in the lineup, and the No. 1 overall pick is no stranger to clutch situations.

6 - (R) 3B - Tracy Prezzy Jr.: Alright, so another bending of the rules here, but hear me out. Prezzy Jr. projects to be a first baseman at the next level, but I already stated fielding isn't that important to me at the moment. We saw Prezzy Jr. can carry on just fine at the hot corner, and that's all we need given his unique talent at the plate. Prezzy Jr. gives us another righty power bat who has shown he can hit for average (.317 AVG led the way in S0).

7 - (L) CF - Sora Mekajiki: For the millionith time, fielding doesn't matter - but I'd prefer to have a guy I can trust patrolling center field. The Japanese-import has good range in center and swings a qualified bat to boot. His .460 slugging mark was third among outfielders - only trailing Marko and McKenzie - and he also finished top-10 in wRC+ for the year. He doesn't have quite the same wheels as some of his peers, but I'm taking a sure glove and a solid bat over guys who get thrown out at second every third time they attempt to steal.

8 - (R) SS - Lucas Peterson: Similar to my philosophy in center, I'm a bit old-fashioned when it comes to shortstop in that I feel more comfortable with a guy I know can man the position. I'm willing to give up a bit at the plate if it means I can get a Gold Glove talent at short. Peterson isn't quite there yet, but his range and ability to make throws from the hole entice me enough to take him as our starting SS. He won't give us much on the base-paths, but he presents the most pop at the position with plenty of room to grow.

9 - (R) DH - Brian Strong: Rules are meant to be broken. Sure, the pitchers can swing the bat a bit right now, but once they start juicing up their skills at the dish, no opposing pitcher is going to be able to keep up as a hitter. Just like MLB, we're going with a universal DH here just so I can give a quick shout-out to Strong. Strong is our second lead-off man and somebody I considered taking originally at the 3B spot. He might be my single favorite player in the entire league after polishing off a 21-homer, 64-swipe season reminiscent of a young Barry Bonds.

Great read, good stuff!

1/10 lack of fungo lol