How to Set a Batting Order in Baseball

Baseball is a game of opportunity. Your job as the coach is to put the best players in the right positions to succeed. Your batting order is a big part of that. Here are some steps on how to set the batting order for your baseball team.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Notebook to write down evaluations
• Baseball equipment
• Sharp eye

1. Begin practice for the season with a long batting practice session. Get a bag of balls and pitch to the team, or have an assistant coach help. While watching every member of your team swing, take note of their ability. Look for the amount of line drives, hard hits, misses, and how balanced they are when they swing.

2. Take your team through some bunting drills. Teach the fundamentals of bunting and observe which players have that talent.

3. Run speed tests. Have each player, one at a time, simulate a swing in the batter's box without a pitch, and run to first, then to second, as if they just hit a double. Time them to determine which players possess good speed.

4. Look at your notebook evaluations, and see which players hit well, and which players possessed good speed or could bunt well or both. Generally speaking, your lead-off hitter should be able to get on base consistently, meaning he can bunt well, has good speed and is selective at the plate. Your second hitter should have many of the same traits. Your third hitter should be your best all-around hitter, and your fourth hitter should have power and the ability to drive in runs. Your fifth hitter is much like your third and fourth hitters, and your sixth hitter should be your remaining best power option. Your seventh and eighth hitters are usually the best of whomever is left, and your ninth hitter should match the characteristics of your lead-off hitter.

5. Set your first lineup with these general guideline in mind. Be positive with your team, and let them know the lineup is subject to change. As games go on, note which players could be better in different spots in the lineup, and work them around to see what can happen.

Tips & Warnings

• Hitting is made up mostly of mental strength. Some players just react better to hitting in different parts of the order. Don't be afraid to try them in different spots.
• Stick with a lineup if it is producing. Hitting is a peaks-and-valleys art, so you want to get the most of it when you're on a hot streak.
• Communicate constantly with your hitters. This will help with their confidence. Be sure to ask them in which part of the order they are most comfortable hitting.
• While variety can be good, be careful not to make change for change's sake. If your team is swinging well, don't mess up a good thing by moving players around the lineup.
• Take note of every hitter not only in your lineup, but who you have on the bench as well. You may need someone to pinch hit or pinch run at some point in the game.