Dear David,
I know your reading this. In fact i'm 14% sure that you are.
Every single game is very important. Lots of games, but everyone is equally important until your knocked out of the race. My advice...Manage in the moment, have a feel for the game, day in and day out. Whose seeing the ball? Whose hitting well right now? As long as they are holding up defensively, those are the players who are in your line up today. Always consider what is happening today, right in front of your eyes... Trust what you see in the moment, not numbers or analytics.
Same with pitching... Trust who needs to stay in, and who needs to be yanked based upon what is happening in the moment.
Tap into the flow and feel of the game as it's happening. Make changes as needed as things happen.
Now David...if you are doubting any of this wisdom, rest assured that I played baseball in High School in the 1980s...for 2 solid years.
Your welcome David.
From a Reds fan