Over the course of the season, players are moved up and down the batting order for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it is strategic, perhaps depending on whether the opposing pitcher is right-handed or left-handed. Sometimes it is due to a player getting hot or a player falling into a slump. Other times it can be due to a key player going on the DL for an extended period of time. All of these scenarios are relevant to the Tigers this season, and each spot into the batting order has been filled by at least a couple of players. Below are a couple tables which detail the success of each player who has had significant time at a given spot in the order.

Top of the Order: Pre- and Post-Cabrera

As stated above, there are many reasons for lineup variety, but one big adjustment that has been made affects the top six spots of the batting order. When everyone is healthy, the Tigers typical batting order looks something like:

Gose/Davis Kinsler Cabrera Victor Cespedes/JD Cespedes/JD

Stats for these players are seen in white above. However, when Miguel Cabrera went down with an injury, Brad Ausmus chose to make the following changes to the lineup:

Kinsler Cespedes Victor JD Avila Castellanos

Stats for these players are highlighted in blue above. While losing Cabrera is obviously not a strategic decision, it is still valuable to compare the production of these two lineups by looking at the different spots in the order. As one might expect, decreases are seen in the 3rd, 5th, and 6th spots in the lineup when measuring by wRC+. Victor is still producing 156 wRC+ in the 3-hole which is much better than the league average, but it would be difficult for any player to stay at Cabrera’s 183 wRC+. On the other hand, Alex Avila has struggled this season, although Brad Ausmus has chosen him to hit 5th in a handful of games recently. The results have been lackluster, as his 89 wRC+ sits below both the league average and the average of other Tigers hitting 5th this season.

However, the 1st, 2nd, and 4th spots in the order have seen a nice boost in production in the new lineup construction. Ian Kinsler has put up 130 wRC+ when leading off, and Yoenis Cespedes has provided a remarkable 145 wRC+ batting 2nd. In the cleanup spot, JD Martinez has been much more productive than Victor and Cespedes, although they have found success at other places in the order. Sample sizes are not enormous since Cabrera’s injury, but it does seem like Ausmus has made the right decisions at the top of the order.

Bottom of the Order: Mix and Match

While the top of the order has been fairly steady aside from the Cabrera injury, the bottom three spots in the lineup have been moved around many times. This is not atypical, and most teams undergo the same process each year. While the at-bats have been spread out pretty well at these places, some interested trends can still be noted. For example, Nick Castellanos, James McCann, and Alex Avila have all hit 7th this season, but no player sticks out significantly. McCann has definitely fared the best of the trio, and his 98 wRC+ is higher than most 7th hitters around the league, but the difference between him and the other two players is not overly noteworthy.

Many players have hit 8th and 9th this season, and a few stats truly stick out. McCann and Jose Iglesias have been very strong at the bottom of the order, posting wRC+ above 100. However, Antony Gose and Rajai Davis have really struggled when hitting 9th, often due to their splits against the opposite starting pitcher. As a whole, the Tigers have hit much better in the bottom three spots in the lineup than the rest of the league (AL only for the 9th spot), and have found success swapping players in and out at these positions. While the sample sizes are again small, it is clear that the Tigers can find offensive production both up and down the order.

Player Flexibility and Production

A couple of players and situations have interesting splits, as highlighted in the table above. A great example of this is the production of both Gose and Davis when batting at the top or the bottom of the lineup. Batting 9th and batting 1st are not so different, other than the very start of the game. Of course, the player leading off will likely see an extra plate appearance, but for strategic purposes, the spots are pretty close. Ausmus will often hit Gose 1st against right-handed starters and Davis against lefties. If both players need to be in the lineup that day, the other will hit 9th because they are significantly weaker against the starter. The numbers reflect that greatly, as Gose (94 wRC+ vs. 49 wRC+) and Davis (111 wRC+ vs. 36 wRC+) are very much more effective at the top of the order.

After Cabrera went to the DL, Ausmus has chosen a new leadoff hitter: Kinsler. While he was doing just fine batting second, staying around league average, Kinsler has seen a sharp jump in production when batting 1st. His 130 wRC+ is by far the highest seen at this spot on the team this season, and he well outpaces the league average for leadoff men.

JD and Cespedes have moved all around the order and have pretty much found success everywhere. Both players have clear offensive talent, so it should not be a surprise that they can be plugged into almost any spot. JD has found a new home batting 4th and has done very well, producing 166 wRC+. However, he still was putting up big numbers when hitting 5th and 6th too. Likewise, Cespedes is flourishing in the 2-hole now, looking much stronger than other hitters in the league at this spot. Still, his above-average performance existed when he was hitting lower in the lineup as well.

Final Thoughts

The point to make here is that sometimes shifting a player to a new spot in the lineup will pay great dividends. The Tigers have seen this happen at the top of the order over the past few weeks. However, sometimes there is not a huge difference when a player hits. The Tigers are fortunate to have a plethora of batters who can produce from the 7-9 spots, and to have players like JD Martinez and Yoenis Cespedes who can rake from essentially anywhere. All in all, Brad Ausmus has managed the lineup in a decently effective manner this season.