Is Miami Marlins Manager Skip Schumaker partly to blame for inconsistent bats?

There are plenty of factors to the Miami Marlins struggling production at the plate and I think first and foremost the opponents are to blame.  The Marlins skipper had been lauded for his decision making early to mid season but since the many changes after the trade deadline the lineup has been in flux all month.  

Certainly this August has been the toughest schedule the Marlins have faced all season.  The Marlins will finish this month with a record well below .500 and both the pitching and hitting are to blame but let’s focus on the hitting. The non-trade deadline Marlins players have been slumping all month.   Skip has tried a many different lineups, but was that a wise decision?

Skip has moved around the Marlins most productive hitters, starting with Arraez who is no longer in the leadoff spot.  He has moved between 1, 2, and 3 in the lineup this month.  Soler has also hit both in his old spot at 2, along with leadoff, and 4.  Burger has hit anywhere between 3 and 7 this month along with Bell, who even hit 2nd the last two nights.  De La Cruz has hit in several different spots as has Chisholm this month.  

That’s a whole lot of change for one month and although the logic behind it is likely focused on who is hitting will be moved up, does it really help?  The many different lineups have not allowed for any production, especially over the initial few lineups when Bell and Burger came on board.  Lineups matter because pitchers and teams plan for the top 5 especially and use their best stuff against them.  Certainly if you put Bell at the 9 spot he will still get the best stuff, but then he also gets the fewest at bats.   

Lineup is based on philosophy and for many you want high average up top and then high production with runners on in the middle which is what he had in the lineup to start the month.   We will see if they work themselves out of the slump but I for one don’t want to see Bell or Burger hitting above the 3 hole, I don’t think they are being used for their best attributes.  I’d like to see Arraez, DLC, Chisholm, Bell, Burger, but that’s just me.