Cubs skipper Joe Maddon talks batting order philosophy

8:44 PM ET

CHICAGO — There’s one thing you can say about Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon. If there is any challenge to be made to conventional wisdom, he’s going to be out in front leading the charge.

A lot of things have evolved in baseball over the years, especially as more data has become available and the methods of analyzing them more advanced. That certainly holds true for lineup construction, which some analytical types dismiss as mostly irrelevant. Not so for Maddon, who is always quick with a verbose response to any question posed to him about a lineup decision.

Maddon was at it again before Tuesday’s game against Miami. He gave star third baseman Kris Bryant, who has been batting second lately, the night off and inserted rookie Willson Contreras into the second slot. It marked the first time Contreras has started a game batting higher than fourth.

“I’ve always liked a guy who can really power the ball in the 2-hole,” Maddon said. “The only thing I’m not doing is putting the pitcher in the 8-hole and another hitter in the 9-hole to really feed it. Because the lineup has gotten longer.

“The guy in the 7-hole is going to be cheated by having the pitcher [behind] him in the 8-hole. That’s where I’ve been hung up this year, honestly.”

Willson Contreras is hitting second for the first time this season on Tuesday as Cubs manager Joe Maddon continues to tinker with his batting order. David Banks/Getty Images

Maddon is definitely a lineup tinkerer. Through Monday’s games, the Cubs have used 72 different lineups this season (not including the pitcher’s slot), ranking third in the National League behind …

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