Are traditional MLB batting orders dead?

Sep 17, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants bench coach Ron Wotus checks the lineup in the dugout against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell gave us a sneak preview of what’s to come for his team and their batting order in the 2015 season. The lineup has no surprises at the top, beginning with the speedy Mookie Betts at number one and the professional hitting Dustin Pedroia in the two-hole. Hitting third is the always dangerous David Ortiz — who just happens to be closing in on 500 home runs.

In the cleanup spot is the only surprise. Right now, Farrell plans to write Hanley Ramirez’s name fourth on his scorecard.

The traditional thinking is that the leadoff hitter should be your best on-base guy, the two-hole can make contact, the three-hole is your team’s best hitter and the cleanup spot is reserved for the player with the most power. Ramirez is clearly not the man with the most power in this lineup and another sign that traditional thinking might be dead.

Farrell’s justification for the lineup does make sense. He wants to split up Ortiz from switch hitting third baseman Pablo Sandoval with Ramirez and slot first baseman Mike Napoli, also right-handed, after Sandoval.

Whenever the pitcher is right-handed, this will give the Red Sox a nice lefty/righty/lefty/righty split.

The Red Sox are far from the only team attending the funeral for the traditional batting order. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have done this with Mike Trout for nearly his entire career. Trout plays like a number three or four hitter. So far, he has started 52 games in the third spot and none hitting fourth.

Trout has spent significantly more time as a leadoff hitter, starting 157 games from that spot. The place he has hit most from though has been the two-hole, garnering 246 starts there. In a traditional sense, this spot is best used on a player with a high batting average, but without much power. Trout has the batting average with plenty of power to match.

Using Trout as a number two hitter makes sense for the Angels because they have Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton. If they had been ordinary and used Trout at number three then pushed Pujols to fourth and Hamilton to fifth, they would steal early at-bats from each. With the setup they have now, Trout and Pujols both get an at-bat in the first inning.

The Angels are not the only team using one of their better power hitters in the number two spot. Ryan Braun started 44 games in 2014 for the Milwaukee Brewers hitting second. This was 43 more starts there than he had hitting cleanup, which was something he did only once all season.

Placing Trout or Braun in the two-hole is far different than putting someone like Ramirez in the four spot for the Red Sox. Ramirez does have some pop in his bat, but not the kind you want batting fourth for your team. Through his career, Ramirez has spent the most time hitting third (484 starts) and the second most hitting leadoff (403 starts). Ranking third is him batting cleanup with 134 starts. Keep in mind, this occurred when Ramirez was playing for some bad (Florida) Marlins teams. Back then, he was the best power hitter on the team and a more reasonable choice.

As painful as it may feel to see someone like Ramirez hitting cleanup in a batting order, traditional lineups don’t seem like a requirement anymore. Especially so in the American League, where a players hits are more affected by those around him.

If Ortiz was hitting fourth and Ramirez fifth, it may not seem like anything unusual. Because the fourth spot in the batting order has the nickname “cleanup hitter,” onlookers take more notice and can only wonder if Farrell’s plan will work.