For the last seven games, San Diego Padres Jackson Merrill has been in the lineup’s leadoff spot. He became the team’s fifth leadoff hitter in the Padres’ first 41 games of the 2026 season.

Friars manager Craig Stammen treats the batting order as an ongoing experiment. He determines who will hit where in the lineup by that day’s pitching matchup and each player’s current hitting trends.

Lineup construction based on analytics

Let’s face it, the Padres’ batting order is handcuffed to the front office’s analytical spreadsheets. Stammen creates a lineup based on the data-driven numbers. A player with a strong career average against the night’s starting pitcher should expect to start. And if they’re in the midst of a good hitting streak, you are probably leading off that evening.

Lineup construction in the analytical era is very easy to decipher. Teams insert their best hitters at the top of the batting order to maximize their plate appearances. The belief is to maximize your scoring opportunities by having your top bats in the box as often as possible. The data shows this creates more chances to score early and often.

Then, round out the batting order based on players’ hitting skills. The middle of the lineup is reserved for sluggers who are proven run-producers. The bottom of the order is exclusive for high-OBP hitters to ensure the top of the lineup bats with runners in scoring position.

Gone are the days of having a leadoff hitter who can draw a walk and steal second base to put himself into scoring position. Speed is no longer a priority for teams. Every batter in the lineup needs to be fast enough to avoid double plays.

Now, teams want a batter who can hit the first pitch of the game out of the park. Plus, you want him up later in the contest with runners in scoring position and the game on the line.

Stammen can be unpredictable

The Stammen regime can be described as unpredictable, as he offered some head-scratching lineups on certain nights. Who else would bat Fernando Tatis Jr. anywhere from the second to fifth spot in the order? And not worry about the criticism for putting a hitter who has not homered in a run-producing position in the lineup.

Yes, Friar Faithful’s eyebrows likely raised at the unconventional batting orders. We have seen players hitting higher in the lineup than their skill level would suggest. But all is forgiven when the Friars orchestrate a walkoff win.

Currently, the team batting average is .223, which is 28th in the majors. The Padres average 4.25 runs per game; their 174 total runs rank them 21st in baseball.

Judgement will have to wait until the season concludes.