CHICAGO -- Against right-handed pitching, the Padres¡¯ lineup decisions have actually been straightforward this year. Sure, there was some measure of surprise when Fernando Tatis Jr. took over the leadoff spot, with the lefty-hitting Luis Arraez dropped to second.
But once San Diego established its plan at the top of the order, the rest of the lineup fell into place. Jackson Merrill and Jake Cronenworth were stacked in the fourth and fifth spots, respectively. Gavin Sheets is at DH. Jason Heyward plays left field. It¡¯s a starting nine packed with lefty hitters -- and thereby filled with matchup advantages (and righty-hitting options off the bench).
That formula has worked. The Padres are 5-0 this season against right-handed starters.
The flipside is this: Their gameplan against left-handed pitching isn¡¯t so neat and tidy. The sample is small -- and it¡¯s wholly unfair to draw conclusions from two losses to quality Cubs pitchers. (The Padres did beat Chris Sale on Opening Day, after all.)
But there¡¯s no denying the decisions get more complicated against left-handed starters. Let¡¯s take a look:
Where should Merrill hit?
Right now, Merrill is batting fifth -- despite the fact that he¡¯s been excellent against left-handed pitching this season. The reasoning is not so much about Merrill himself.
¡°It¡¯s the guys in front of him,¡± said manager Mike Shildt. ¡°I like the guys that are in front of Jackson. ¡ You¡¯re talking about Tati doing his thing, Luis is a three-time batting champion, Manny¡¯s Manny, and Bogey¡¯s in a good place. I think it sets up Jackson in a good spot at 5. So Jackson¡¯s interchangeable.¡±
Indeed, by hitting Merrill behind Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts, the Padres envision RBI opportunities. Merrill doesn¡¯t walk much, and, in theory, Bogaerts¡¯ chances of reaching base are higher against left-handed pitching. (On that front, the underlying numbers indicate Bogaerts has found some rough luck against lefties this year.)
Still, there¡¯s a case to be made for Merrill moving up in the order, at least to the cleanup spot. His eight-game season-opening hitting streak came to an end in Saturday¡¯s 7-1 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field. But Merrill is still easily one of the most fearsome hitters in the San Diego lineup.
Is there a chance to platoon at second base?
A year ago, Jose Iglesias batted .402/.455/.543 against left-handed pitching. A year ago, Cronenworth batted .203/.276/.255 against left-handed pitching.
Importantly, however, this is not about 2024.
¡°If you look at my entire career, my lefty/righty splits have been fairly similar, outside of last year,¡± Cronenworth said last week after his game-winning homer off Braves lefty Dylan Lee.
He¡¯s not wrong. Remove 2024 from the equation, and Cronenworth has always fared well enough against left-handed pitching. Earlier this week, Shildt was quick to ¡°take exception¡± to the idea that Cronenworth and Iglesias might be viewed as a second-base platoon.
Cronenworth brings plenty of value as a defender. And he¡¯s a tough at-bat no matter what pitcher he¡¯s facing. But if there¡¯s no place for Iglesias against left-handed pitching, where exactly is there a spot for Iglesias right now? Really, there¡¯s only one other option ...
Can Gurriel get going?
Sheets¡¯ success out of the DH spot has been a driving force behind the Padres¡¯ success against right-handed pitching this season. Conversely, the other half of that DH platoon has struggled.
A week ago, Yuli Gurriel came off the bench to deliver a game-winning hit. But that single is the only hit he¡¯s recorded in 13 at-bats this year. The 40-year-old Gurriel won a roster spot with a solid showing in camp, but he¡¯s struggled since.
¡°It¡¯s early,¡± Shildt said. ¡°Yuli¡¯s a more-than-professional hitter. He¡¯s done this a long time. He¡¯s just getting his timing going. Looks like he¡¯s a little jumpy, chasing the ball up a little bit. But he¡¯ll settle down, and he¡¯ll give us good at-bats.¡±
If the Padres want to prioritize infield defense, there¡¯s an option to play Iglesias at second and Cronenworth at first, with Arraez as DH. In essence, that sets up a Sheets/Iglesias platoon. There¡¯s also the possibility that Sheets might mash his way into starts against left-handed pitching.
For now, however, those at-bats seem destined to go to Gurriel. The Padres are set to face a pair of righties in the coming days, meaning their lineup decisions ought to be fairly straightforward. Until Tuesday, with A¡¯s southpaw Jeffrey Springs lined up to start -- bringing many of the same questions back to the forefront.