If you web search “batting order strategies for youth teams” you’ll get a lot of information on how to win.  This is not that. These are strategies to help coaches, particularly at the recreational level, have a more equal opportunity approach, while making their job easier as manager of a youth baseball or softball team. Get each kid as many plate appearances as possible. Because, if all the kids on your team are confident at the plate and can hit, You’ll Win!

 

Game 1, set your batting order however you want, so you have a base to implement these strategies. Keep in mind you may not have everyone available for every game, so the batting order may change slightly. And these strategies are not “all or none.” I would typically use one for a few games then switch to a different strategy for the next series of games.

 

  • Middle to Top: take the person in the middle of the order grom the previous game, move them to the top and run the same order. So with 12 players, the 7th hitter now bats first, 8th bats second, and so on. The 6th hitter from prior game would bat last. For game 3, you could start with the 6th hitter (12th hitter from game 1) and put them at lead off, so everyone is in a different slot in the order than they’ve been the past two games.

 

  • Reverse Lineup: simple, you just reverse the order from the game before. I would do this twice then come up with a new order then go again. So, game 1 order, then reverse it for game 2, come up with new batting order for game 3 then reverse that for game 4.

 

  • Pod Method: this works well if you want to dive more into the strategy of which kids should be grouped together but want them all to get experience hitting in different sections of the order (top, middle, bottom). On a team of 12, group hitters in 3 pods of 4. Hitters 1 – 4 (pod 1), hitters 5 – 8 (pod 2), hitters 9 – 12 (pod 3). For game 2, 9 – 12 moves to 1 – 4, 1 – 4 moves to 5 – 8, 5 – 8 goes to 9 – 12. And rotate pods one section of the order (top, middle, bottom) each game. You can keep this rotation going for several games.

 

  • Sprinkle Method: If you have a large range of skill level, which is most always the case with youth teams, this could help not to have a stall in batting order. Simply take your kids that are not good hitters and “sprinkle” them throughout the lineup to give the batting order more balance top to bottom. Just be sure to rotate the kids throughout the season so they are not hitting in the same spot every game.

 

  • Start Where Last Game Ended: I have used this a ton in tournaments where you often play back-to-back games on same day. Have your game 1 lineup, then for game 2, the player after the last player that hit leads off, and you keep the same order. So if the #8 hitter was the last player to bat in game 1, #9 bats first in game 2. Keep the line moving!

 

Other considerations: Most often, running the bases is the kids’ favorite part of playing baseball or softball.  In leagues with inning run limits and poor defense, pay attention to which players get left on base (due to your team maxing the run limit) and try to make sure it is not the same kids every game (if you’re rotating your order this should take care of itself).