Is platooning overrated?

[now]

Look at the young Orioles outfield cohort, the lefty-swinging Cowser, Stowers, and Kjerstad. Could they be penciled into an everyday lineup, or are they platoon candidates? In today's bullpen-heavy environment, does platooning even make sense anymore?

Here are their 2023 AAA splits vs. LHP:
Stowers 73 AB .680 OPS
Cowser 76 AB .769 OPS
Kjerstad 107 AB .828 OPS

Obviously these are small sample sizes, for a metric that can flip even for full-season totals from year to year. 

Then there are the opposing pitchers' splits to consider. If LH Batter X has even splits but faces a LH pitcher with 50% better splits against LH batters, it would make sense to split the difference and peg the matchup at a 25% disadvantage. (Think Strat-O-Matic, rolling a 4-5-6 for the pitcher's card instead of 1-2-3 for the batter's card, in a given at bat.) 

Just thinking out loud here. What do you think about the emphasis the Orioles give to platooning. Is it overrated, underused, or just right?

Edited March 10 by now

[wildcard]

No, platooning is not overrated.

[Can_of_corn]

I'd rather just have talented hitters and pitchers.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

Platooning is hard to do in today's game with limited position players on the bench. It can work if you have the right mix of players who have the hitting skills and defensive capability to pull it off.

In my mind defensive versatility out of your backups is more important than having the right mix of RHB and LHB players. Platooning made more sense in the days of nine and ten man pitching staffs.

[forphase1]

It depends.  Not all guys have splits and need platooned.  Sometimes our leadership acts like they do,  even when results and numbers suggest otherwise.  So is it overrated?  Depends on the player and situation.   In some cases there should be a platoon,  but it shouldn't automatically be done or assumed that it's better or needed. 

[btdart20]

By who?  It has value but you can't do it at every position. 

[Aristotelian]

Completely depends on the player and and the split differential. In general I do not think it's overrated. 

The new rules increase the importance of matchup proof bullpen arms.

[EddeeEddee]

Platooning was part of the O's success under Earl Weaver back in the day.  He was one of its pioneers.  Of course you don't do it with most players -- but it certainly made sense with John Lowenstein and Gary Roenicke.  

[HandsomeQuack]

Platooning is just extracting value from your bench spots. If you have 13 hitters to play with, you should make the most of them.

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, HandsomeQuack said:

Platooning is just extracting value from your bench spots. If you have 13 hitters to play with, you should make the most of them.

It's potentially a way to extract value from your bench.

May or may not be the best use.

[HandsomeQuack]

28 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

It's potentially a way to extract value from your bench.

May or may not be the best use.

For sure, but from a team-building standpoint, you want to create those situations.

[baltimoriole]

This is one of the reasons why I wonder why so many posters are eager to trade away Santander.  It’s nice having an every day good to good-plus plug and play player regardless of who’s pitching. Especially when you have to juggle the line-up with O’Hearn & Mullins vs lefties and Mountcastle & Hays vs righties. You can’t platoon every position.

[Just Regular]

I think there's a tipping point around where if you are 3-wins good the Sigbots will leave you alone.

Is Jordan Westburg that good?    Austin Hays?     Kjerstad/Cowser?      Anybody named Lowe on Tampa?

Its best to have the most 3+ win players you can get.     Until Coby Mayo or Samuel Basallo or Manny Machado become those players accessible to the Orioles, you can still win 100+ games mad sciencing 2.6 wins from the Ryans.

Anthony Santander collecting his 8 figures in Arb is an artifact of the pipeline not having reached the major league roster in his generation.   Today I'd probably guess against Austin Hays doing as well next year, and Ryan Mountcastle 2 years out...nope.

If your versatility is being talked about by your org, fair chance they don't expect you can exceed 3 WAR per ~600 PA.

Put those Bregmans and Tuckers and Yordans on the field and see who can measure up.     Kyle Tucker does not platoon with Mauricio Dubon, and nor will Heston Kjerstad with Ryan McKenna if he is what Mike Elias thought he was.

[Can_of_corn]

3 hours ago, HandsomeQuack said:

For sure, but from a team-building standpoint, you want to create those situations.

Honestly I don't.  I don't want to have to pull a guy because the other team put a lefty into the game in the third inning.

I'd rather run guys without big splits and use my bench for something else,

[HandsomeQuack]

3 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Honestly I don't.  I don't want to have to pull a guy because the other team put a lefty into the game in the third inning.

I'd rather run guys without big splits and use my bench for something else,

Well yeah, hitters that are good against lefties and righties are better than hitters that can only hit one or the other. But players from the former category are harder to get and so if you have a deep roster of hitters, there will be some spots where a platoon makes sense.

The question was whether platooning is overrated and the answer is no.