MLB Hot Stove: Who Should Teams Sign As 2-hole Hitters?

Pitching strategy innovations have influenced MLB Hot Stove recently, but batting order consideration has also impacted the game over the past 25 years. Baseball analytics and sabermetrics have influenced free agency and player contracts.

The Cleveland Indians turned heads with a great bullpen and World Series run in 2016. Andrew Miller became the face of that reliever corps. The big lefty ate away two innings per game rendering the opponent completely obsolete.

The New York Yankees had been building teams around shutdown bullpens for a while, Miller started his dominant run there. But the Yankees always had so much other stuff going on during MLB Hot Stove, the bullpen movement did not get its due recognition.

The Milwaukee Brewers let their stellar bullpen lead their pitching staff within one game of the World Series in 2018. Some compared their key bullpen weapon, Josh Hader, to Andrew Miller.

Also in 2018, the Tampa Bay Rays used an “Opener” (Sergio Romo) to begin a few games before bringing in a pitcher to get more bulk outs.

But, what, if anything, has changed the way MLB managers fill out their lineups? What are they looking for on this year’s MLB Hot Stove?

MLB Hot Stove Free Agents Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, 2-hole Hitters

Players such as Placido Polanco are an endangered species. Guys such as Machado and Harper are the modern 2-hole hitter.

In 1993, the San Francisco Giants won over 100 games with Robby Thompson getting the majority of the team’s at-bats in the 2-hole. He ended  up having a quality, All-Star type season.

However, Thompson came into that year having amassed just .727 career OPS.

Teams looked at lineups differently 25 years ago. In that same 1993 lineup, Barry Bonds hit fifth for most of the season.

This might have been during the time that many people thought Bonds was playing clean, but his numbers still popped off the page. He hit 1.136 that season. Pretty incredible for a player to hit like that and bat fifth.

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In 1993, the number two hitter prototype would be a player with great bat control to advance the leadoff hitter in any way possible for the next players. The ability to sacrifice bunt was important.

Nowadays, sabermetrics show that a team’s best hitter should hit second because that is the position that gets the most at-bats and RBI chances combined.

Simply put, more damage can be done out of the two-hole than the third spot or cleanup position.

Modern 2-hole hitters are Mike Trout and Brewers National League MVP Christian Yelich.

In 2006, The Book helped a major change continue in the MLB.

"“The Book says the #2 hitter comes to bat in situations about as important as the #3 hitter, but more often. That means the #2 hitter should be better than the #3 guy, and one of the best three hitters overall.”"

Nowadays, hitters such as MLB Hot Stove free agents Manny Machado and Bryce Harper are 2-hole hitters. This is a far cry from just 25 years ago when Robby Thompson hit his way to the All-Star game by hitting second.