With Pederson, Brandon Nimmo and Corey Seager in the top three spots, the Rangers had three lefties in a row, but that alignment does work better, I think, than having Pederson and Evan Carter back-to-back, as Schumaker had been doing. A lefty brought into the game, particularly in the middle innings, to face Pederson and Carter either results in two guys who can’t hit lefties facing a lefty, or else Schumaker pinch hitting for one or both of them, which weakens the lineup overall, particularly if/when those spots come back around later in the game against a righthanded reliever. If lefty is brought in to face Pederson, Nimmo and Seager, though, Pederson likely gets pinch hit for, Nimmo has minimal platoon splits, and Corey Seager is Corey Seager. It doesn’t mean that the opponent won’t go with a lefty in that situation, but the impact is lessened.
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