Mattingly's approach to lineup construction similar to Thomson's

PHILADELPHIA -- After his first game and his first victory as Phillies interim manager on Tuesday night, Don Mattingly said something relatable following a crazy day.

“My mind is racing,” he said.

Tuesday was a whirlwind for Mattingly, who replaced Rob Thomson following the Phillies’ 9-19 start. Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park felt like any other day before their game against the Giants got postponed because of rain. A more relaxed atmosphere allowed Mattingly to share a few more thoughts on how he likes to run things.

He has previous experience. He managed the Dodgers from 2011-15 and the Marlins from 2016-22.

Mattingly discussed lineups because everybody is an expert on them. Right?

His first two looked like Thomson’s. He had Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper hitting in the first three spots. Adolis García and Brandon Marsh followed.

“I’ve been in different places that use lineup optimizers and things like that,” Mattingly said. “And what you find out, you want your best nine and you can kind of put them in any order, and it changes the run value, I mean, so slightly over the course of the year.”

Could the Phillies’ lineup use a different look? Possibly.

But Mattingly isn’t the first manager to understand that shuffling the lineup doesn’t make that much of a difference. Thomson said he wanted Turner, Schwarber and Harper – his best three hitters – to hit in the first inning in every game.

Mattingly seems to feel the same way.

“We could hit [Harper] first and Marsh second, or we could hit Trea second,” Mattingly said. “We can hit Schwarbs first. I don't think that really is going to be the big difference in our lineup. I want guys comfortable. I do know that as a player, they want to be in spots that they're fairly comfortable with the guys around them and know where they're going to be.

“Especially the big boys, right? And so I am mindful of that, and I don't feel like there's any big, huge need to make changes at the front or maybe ways that I think might be a little better. But if you talk to your guys and they're not comfortable, then I'd rather be where they're comfortable and committed. I don't want them going, ‘OK, I'll do it,' and not be committed to it. I want guys committed to where they’re at and really just having good quality at-bats.”

Like most managers, Mattingly also wants balance to the lineup.

“I want to make sure we're set up to … if they want to bring lefties in, that we have some counters to that,” he said. “Let's say our lefties are our best guys. We put five in a row up there. We're just begging you to bring lefties in that spot, so you try to set the lineup up in a way that puts a little pressure on the other manager. How do I use my guys? And am I going to get a lefty if I bring in a lefty?”

Mattingly will get to make two lineups for Thursday’s split doubleheader, with the opener starting at 12:35 p.m. and the nightcap scheduled for 5:35.