Houston Astros Lineup: Does George Springer in the Two-Hole Make Sense?

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George Springer has been penciled in the number two hole in the Astros lineup recently during spring games. Is manager A.J. Hinch just trying to get Springer the early at-bats, so he can remove him from the game sooner, or is Hinch experimenting with a lineup with Springer batting second?

Most people assumed that Springer would be hitting third, but could Hinch shake things up a little?

Next: Projected Lineup With Springer Batting Second

What would the batting order look like with Springer hitting second?

Mar 8, 2015; Lakeland, FL, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Valbuena (18) hits a RBI during the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at a spring training baseball game at Joker Marchant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The lineup below is based on some of the recent lineups during spring games.

2nd – Jose Altuve

RF – George Springer

3rd – Luis Valbuena

DH – Evan Gattis

1st – Chris Carter

C – Jason Castro

LF – Colby Rasmus

SS – Jed Lowrie

CF – Jake Marisnick

I am not claiming that this will be the lineup come opening day, but Hinch stated during the Blogger’s Round Table that he wants to put a left-handed hitter between the right-handed sluggers. He was hoping that one of the left-handed hitters would stand out, and that is what Luis Valbuena has done this spring.

For the last few years, Jason Castro has been that left-handed presence in the three-hole. However, Castro is coming off of a down year where he hit just .222, so he is moved down in the order a little to the six spot.

Next: Criteria For the Second Hitter in Lineup

Criteria for the second hitter in lineup

Sep 24, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) steals second base ahead of the tag by Texas Rangers second baseman

Rougned Odor

(12) during the sixth inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Typically, the second hitter in the lineup is a left-handed hitter, to make it a little harder for the catcher to try to pick-off the guy at first. The early thought was also that the batter would partially shield the view of the runner trying to steal second. This is not always the case with a number two hitter, because a good right-handed hitter will be just as good.

The second hitter has normally been someone with good ability to make contact on the ball, to advance the runner with a bunt or well placed out. You typically don’t see someone who grounds into a large amount of double plays hitting second either, so speed and some power might be ideal. The speed could also factor in with potential double steal attempts.

Bottom line is that the number two hitter should be able to advance the runner, to allow for the big sluggers to have runners in scoring position.

The Stats below are from ESPN. These are the stats from the players batting in the number two hole of the 2014 Astros lineup.

Surprisingly enough, the number two hitters in 2014 had better numbers than the lead-off hitters. Jose Altuve, George Springer, and Robbie Grossman were the players that batted second the most. Grossman and Altuve also flipped back and forth between lead-off and the second place hitter.

Next: Why Would Springer Bat Second?

Why would Springer bat second?

Jul 9, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Houston Astros center fielder George Springer (4) bats during the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Instead of focusing on the order and who is in the lineup, we will focus on why Springer should bat second. This spring, George Springer has shown patience at the plate so far, striking out and walking four times each. He offers something that Valbuena and Lowrie do not in the two-hole: speed. With Altuve and Springer on first and second, how much attention will the pitcher be paying to the hitter?

Inserting Springer in the two-hole and Valbuena in the three-hole will also break up the right-handed sluggers. Even though Hinch says he really does not care about match-ups in spring training, he will care during the regular season. It will also break up the string of members of Astros generation K, the Astros players who have a high likelihood to swing and miss a lot. Inserting a left-handed bat between the righties could change the look from opposing pitchers.

Next: Conclusion

Conclusion

Jul 12, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros right fielder George Springer (4) knocks Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (15) off the bag during the eighth inning at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Richardson-USA TODAY Sports

George Springer appeared to be more comfortable batting second and sixth. Maybe he feels too much pressure when batting in the middle of the lineup. Springer’s approach could be different if he is just trying to get on base, versus having to drive in runs. When he looked for contact last year, versus trying to crush the ball, he was more successful.

Does where he hits affect his strikeout percentages?

Batting second: 36/98 – 36%

Batting third: 42/106 – 40%

Batting fourth: 20/55 – 36%

Batting sixth: 16/36 – 44%

As we can see, Springer will strikeout a lot, no matter where he is batting. But if he shoots for making contact on a more consistent basis, he will eventually lower those percentages. I am for Springer batting second, being that we have some other hitters who can hit three through five. We want Springer to be comfortable, and the numbers say he likes hitting second. Eventually he should be the third hitter for the Astros when the time comes.

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Next: Should we be worried about Gattis?

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