MLB lineup question: Do batting champions always bat third?

When it comes to creating an MLB team’s batting order, conventional wisdom seems to dictate that the player batting third in the order is the team’s best hitter… or at least the best hitter for average.

So, here’s the question: Does that belief that the best hitter bats third in the lineup match the end-of-the-season stats? Better stated, are the batting champions each year a player who batted third in the lineup for his team?

To answer that question, we looked at the 46 batting champions over the past 23 seasons, the league batting champs in both the American and National Leagues since 2000. The quick answer to the question of whether or not the batting champions bat third in the lineup is “yes,” at least over the last 23 seasons.

Of the 46 batting champions since 2000, 20 (43 percent) batted third in their team’s lineup (Note: When establishing what spot in the order a batting champ hit, it was based on the most plate appearances for that player in the order.)

Where in the lineup did the last 46 MLB batting champs bat?

Here’s a breakdown of what spot in the batting order each of the last 46 batting champs batted in their lineup:

First: National League-4, American League-6, TOTAL=10
Second: National League-3, American League-3, TOTAL=6
Third: National League-11, American League-9, TOTAL=20
Fourth: National League-4, American League-4, TOTAL=8
Fifth: National League-1, American League-1, TOTAL=2

It’s interesting to note, however, that of the last 10 batting champs (since 2018), only one batted in the third spot in the order.

Following are the last five batting champs in each league and what batting order spot they hit from in their team’s lineup.

2018: NL-Christian Yelich (2), AL-Mookie Betts (1)
2019: NL-Christian Yelich (2), AL-Tim Anderson (2)
2020: NL-Juan Soto (3), AL-DJ LeMahieu (1)
2021: NL-Trea Turner (1), Yuli Gurriel (5)
2022: NL-Jeff McNeil (5), AL-Luis Arraez (1)

Last season, for example, saw the National League batting champion, Jeff McNeil of the Mets, have at least one plate appearance in each of the nine batting spots in the order. He had 165 plate appearances in the fifth spot and 137 plate appearances in the sixth spot.

The 2022 American League batting champion, Luis Arraez (Minnesota), hit from eight of the nine spots in the order; however, he had most of his plate appearances (415 of 603) from the leadoff spot.

The last N.L. batting champ to hit predominantly from the third spot in the order was Juan Soto in 2020. In the A.L., the last batting champ to hit from the third spot was Jose Altuve in 2017.

• Published on 04/05/2023 at 1:00 PM EDT
• Last updated on 04/05/2023 at 1:00 PM EDT