A major league manager says playing a .200 hitter is better for his team than playing a .300 hitter

edmundfitzgerald

John Farrell of the World Series Boston Red Sox says that playing a slower running, weaker hitting left fielder is better for his team than playing a faster, better hitting left fielder.

Gomes hits around .200
Daniel Nava was 8th in the American League hitting over .300

But the Red Sox are 7-1 in the playoffs with Gomes in the lineup.


What do the Sabermetrics and baseball experts have to say about John Farrell's decision making ?

JoeBanzai

Ever hear of a manager named Tom Kelley?

He won two World Series with the Twins making head scratching decisions.

Joe

1985fan

<< <i>John Farrell of the World Series Boston Red Sox says that playing a slower running, weaker hitting left fielder is better for his team than playing a faster, better hitting left fielder.

Gomes hits around .200
Daniel Nava was 8th in the American League hitting over .300

But the Red Sox are 7-1 in the playoffs with Gomes in the lineup.


What do the Sabermetrics and baseball experts have to say about John Farrell's decision making ? >>



Gomes hits around .200? Where do you come up with this stuff? He hit .247 with .344 OBP and .426 SLG, Nava's line: .303/.385/.445. Not really the huge difference you're making it out to be. Throw in the playoff experience Gomes has had which Nava has not, and this really isn't that tough a decision to make. It also gives Farrell the ability to defensively substitute for Gomes late in games without having a drop off offensively which is rarely the case.

Skin2

Nava's OPS+ was 128 this year during the regular season, however, that does not mean one should expect his near future performance to be at the 128 level. Last year his OPS+ was 101.

It is just as likely for his next X amount of at bats to be at the 101 level as the 128 level. Considering he is 30 years old, and this is his first year of hitting at 128 at the MLB level, it is a possibility that the 128 this year was a fluke, and counting on more if it going forward may be a mistake. He could also be a late bloomer too, or just producing after being given the chance...but I guess we will see in the next couple years if he is.


Gomes OPS+ was 111 this year and 142 last year. At 32, he isn't quite old enough to be in the big decline level, and with 3,462 career MLB plate appearances with a career OPS+ of 109...he is more likely to produce at the 109 level than Nava is.

It is simply a matter of choosing the best odds going forward, and looking at the evidence, it looks like Gomes is the stronger candidate to produce better than Nava.

Lefty/Righty matchups are a considering as well of course.


The negligible difference between the two hitters is hardly the difference in the Red Sox Post season record this year...and it simply looks like a case of 'experience' winning out since there isn't a huge difference.

Of course, in a short series, anything can happen. Either one could catch fire, or get cold, but that is luck, and that is 'unmanageable'.