Overview
The lineup refers to the batting order of nine players (ten with the DH), constituting the team's offensive design. NPB traditionally places a high-OBP speedster at leadoff, the best overall hitter third, and the premier power hitter fourth. MLB's trend of batting the best hitter second has gradually influenced NPB as well. Lineup construction reflects a manager's philosophy, broadly divided between contact-oriented lineups emphasizing baserunning and power-oriented lineups built around extra-base hits. Dominant lineups often earn nicknames, such as Hanshin's Dynamite Lineup of 1985. Lineups are famously streaky, with hot and cold stretches that can define a team's season.