Pinch hitting isn’t as big a part of the game of baseball these days with the adoption of the universal DH. Lineup spots are less flexible without pitchers involved anymore and the vast majority of bench players are employed because of their defensive ability, not for their offensive prowess.

However, Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker found a way to make a truly bizarre pinch hitting choice vs. the Reds that cost the team big.

In the bottom of the ninth on Wednesday, the Braves were down by a run and Michael Harris II had just singled with two outs to bring the winning run to the plate. Given that Eli White was supposed to be that hitter, this was surprisingly promising given that White has been one of the Braves’ hottest hitters of late.

The problem is that Snitker instead chose to pinch hit Eddie Rosario who hasn’t hit basically at all for two years for White in that spot. Predictably, Rosario struck out to end the game and when asked about the decision after the game, Snitker’s decision left a lot to be desired.

Brian Snitker’s slavish devotion to handedness matchups cost the Braves a chance to win

Snitker is right about the fact that Emilio Pagan has been much better against righties than lefties this year so far. All other things being equal, choosing the left-handed option in that spot is easily defensible.

Where Snitker loses us is that this is not a situation where the options were equal and his decision ignored some key details.

First, Pagan may have looked good against righties in a small sample this year, but his career splits tell a more complicated story. Just last season, righties hit .289 off of him. Moreover, White has actually looked great against right-handed pitchers this season with a .922 OPS.

If you are going to look at platoon splits, you have to look at both sides of the coin.

The bigger sin, though, was that Rosario was the left-handed option in this scenario. No one is arguing that Rosario didn’t carry the Braves in the 2021 playoffs and we are eternally grateful. However, he hasn’t been good since that playoff run and hasn’t hit lefties or righties in years at this point. Snitker thinking that he could “recreate some old magic” is a thought process that is completely divorced from reality and one that took the bat out of one of their hottest hitters’ hands.

Would the Braves have found a way to tie the game if White hit instead of Rosario? No idea. There were two outs and White wasn’t guaranteed to get on base in that spot.

However, the left-handed hitting Drake Baldwin was coming up next and he was having a great game to that point. Baseball should be about maximizing one’s chances to win and on Thursday, Snitker decidedly did not do that.