#ShotsFriday
Small
Ballers play a style that most baseball purest can appreciate. They for the
most part don’t expect pure luck to carry them where they want to get. Instead
they create their own luck. They expect every player to be productive in their
own way. These guys are looking to score extra runs one at a time. They may
tally a few together but they make their money stealing extra runs. In my
humble opinion this is the most effective strategy for actually winning
consistently in Showdown.
The
model for the lead-off hitter is not original here but it is definitely more
important than most other teams. These guys put an absolute premium on the 10,
speed A player or sometimes a 9, speed A +20. Sometimes this position is so
important you will see them doubled up. Pair of players cut from the same cloth
is going score many more runs than they will drive in. The guys will be able to
steal their way into scoring position. Is any of that really original to a
Small Ball line-up? No not really.
What is
original to this line-up become more apparent as we work down the line-up. The
duel threat player tends to be the 3 hitter in the Small Ball line-ups. These
guys are going to drive in plenty of runs but also need score runs themselves.
These guys have speed, power and high hits. These are expensive players but
they are the true duel threats. After this the 4 hitter is going to have more
singles than anything else. The emphasis is on a low number on the chart for a
single. Power is not nearly as important to this line-up as singles are because
the three guys in front of him will score on hits.
The 5-6
hitters tend to have a bit more speed than the average line-up would have.
These guys are going to be speed A players who can steal their way into scoring
position. They may not have high on-base but they will have good speed. Don’t
be surprised to see some lower on-base +20 speed players. Guys who can get on base
against the pitchers chart.
The
7-8-9 hitters are going to be cheap guys with speed and likely fielding. They
may not be big hitters. For sub 200 point hitters these guys are going to try
and punish pitchers on their own chart. They also are going to try and minimize
how many runs the other team is going to score. This is usually a place where
tough to draft positions find punts. The punts are going to be very
intentional. Speed and fielding with almost no chart to speak of. The difference
between the bottom and top of the order is the top can score on hits and outs
where the bottom is living of scoring runs off outs and luck.
