Power Ranking the Top Hitting Lineups in Baseball
Since signing Carl Crawford to a seven-year deal worth $142 million last week, the Boston Red Sox have been the talk of the town. This massive signing comes on the heels of yet another blockbuster deal, one that sent Adrian Gonzalez to Boston in exchange for a trio of top prospects.
The addition of these two All-Star players to an offense that ranked second in runs last season makes Boston one of the top offenses in baseball. But are the Red Sox the best?
Here we take the time to examine all 30 lineups based on opening day projections. Although it is impossible to compare an NL team to its AL counterpart, please enjoy this list of the MLB’s top offensive lineups.
30. San Diego Padres
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Last season the Padres ranked amongst the bottom t10 teams in most offensive categories, including batting average, runs and slugging – and that was with Adrian Gonzalez in the lineup.
San Diego lacks any middle of the order presence and will likely bat Ryan Ludwick and Chase Headley in the three and four spots in the order, not exactly intimidating any pitchers.
They were wise to acquire Jason Bartlett who has established himself as one of the better shortstops around baseball (which speaks to the lack of depth at the position). But with little power and a pitcher-friendly ballpark, this offense will struggle all season.
29. Seattle Mariners
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Last season Ichiro went about his business and tallied another 200 hits—his tenth consecutive season accomplishing the feat. Unfortunately the other members of the team struggled greatly. Seattle ranked last in baseball with a meager 513 runs (74 runs behind their closest competitor).
Players like Matt Tuiasosopo and Jack Wilson don’t deserve to be major league starters and their young players all struggled last season.
Justin Smoak—who the team obtained last season in the Cliff Lee deal—is much better than his .218 average would indicate, and if Dustin Ackley can reach the bigs this season, the Mariners could improve from last season, just not enough to matter.
28. Oakland Athletics
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The A’s reportedly offered free agent Adrian Beltre a five-year contract worth $64 million and they are praying he accepts. Cliff Pennington? Mark Ellis? Do these players really deserve to be starting for an MLB team?
For god sakes, the A’s HR leader last season hit all of 17 (Kevin Kouzmanoff) while their top hitter batted only .284 (the latest addition to the Blue Jays, Rajai Davis).
Nearly every player on the A’s is just good enough to deserve a spot in the big leagues but not quite good enough to deserve a starting role.
There are few horrible players, but absolutely no standouts. If you need a player to watch on the team make it DH Chris Carter. The 6’5" rookie had magnificent power numbers in the minors and could potentially be a 30 homer guy this season.
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27. Houston Astros
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When you look at the Astros lineup you see a slew of holes in the order. Carlos Lee was atrocious last season and I still consider him the team’s best player. Brett Wallace has phenomenal minor league numbers but struggled after his call-up last season.
Hunter Pence can do everything OK, but nothing particularly well. The one player to keep your eye on is Chris Johnson.
Johnson seemingly came from out of nowhere to bat .308 with 11 home runs and 52 RBI in just 94 games. If Johnson can produce at that level for an entire season, the Astros may deserve a higher spot on this list. Otherwise expect a wealth of offensive ineptitude.
26. Pittsburgh Pirates
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Andrew McCutchen is a stud. I like what I’ve seen out of Pedro Alvarez. Neil Walker and Jose Tabata were wonderful surprises last season and will look to build on their successful rookie seasons.
The rest of the offense? Complete and utter garbage. Garret Jones is a poor man’s Adam LaRoche (not a compliment) while Ronny Cedeno and John Bowker give you very little offensively.
There are no stars on this team and they are still a few years away from making any real noise in the NL.
25. Baltimore Orioles
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Sure they added Mark Reynolds, but is that really a good thing? The 27-year-old third baseman smacked 32 home runs last season but also struck out 211 times (third straight 200+ K season) while hitting a pathetic .198.
Brian Roberts is solid but aging (and thusly losing his speed) while Markakis and Adam Jones are two terrific outfielders. The rest of the team I could place on waivers and feel confident that I can find serviceable replacements.
That includes the moronic Luke Scott and 2007 first-round pick (and highly-touted fantasy baseball prospect) Matt Wieters.
24. Washington Nationals
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The Nationals added Jayson Werth at a ridiculous price, but lost Adam Dunn—a guaranteed 40 homer hitter. A year ago the Nats offense was ranked sixth worst in baseball and didn’t really gain but, still, I think this is a team with more potential than they realize.
Ryan Zimmerman is amongst the most unheralded players in baseball while Ian Desmond showed that he has big-time potential at shortstop. We’re still years away from seeing Bryce Harperand the team doesn’t have a first baseman, but there are some positive signs coming out of Washington.
The Jayson Werth signing shows that the Nats care about winning now and building a fan base, so don’t be shocked if they sign a free-agent first baseman like Derrek Lee.
23. Cleveland Indians
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Last season the Indians offense was amongst the five least potent in all of baseball. Their team .248 average and sub-4 runs per game ranked Cleveland among the five worst in baseball. Hopefully with a healthy Grady Sizemore, the offense will be able to return to 2008 form when they ranked seventh in runs scored.
Travis Hafner’s swing has slowed and he looks to be over the hill, but Carlos Santana looks to be the real deal. Santana was considered a better catching prospect than Posey before the season and managed a .868 OPS (on-base plus slugging) in his 46 game stint.
The 24-year-old Dominican had his season end short after suffering ligament damage that required surgery, but had made great progress. Together with Choo and Sizemore, the Indians could have a terrific 1-2-3 punch.
22. Arizona Diamondbacks
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It’s not every season you lose your best power hitter and improve but that’s exactly what happened to the D’Backs. Arizona dealt strikeout king Mark Reynolds (76 HR over the last two seasons) to Baltimore for two highly-touted pitching prospects and will fill his third base slot with the 38-year old fossil Melvin Mora.
Chris Young has 30/30 potential as does Justin Upton (only with a higher batting average) and Miguel Montero is a terrific catcher despite lacking name recognition.
There is plenty of young talent, but with questionable starters in left and at first, Arizona may struggle some this year.
21. Kansas City Royals
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A big part of this ranking is based on assumption. Top prospects Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas could be called up to the show and both project as solid middle-of-the-order bats. In fact, between AA and AAA last season. Moustakas batted 322 with an amazing 36 home runs and 124 RBI in 118 games.
If Moustakas joins a lineup that already includes budding star Billy Butler and breakthrough candidates Kila Ka’aihue and Alex Gordon, KC could surprise people this season.
20. Chicago Cubs
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Last season, when Derrek Lee was struggling, the Cubs dealt their struggling first baseman to the Atlanta Braves. How do they go about replacing him? By signing another struggling first baseman. Chicago inked Carlos Pena to a one-year, $10 million deal after the former Ray failed to reach the Mendoza line last season.
He will join fellow overpaid underachievers Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez and Kosuke Fukudome to form a very mediocre Cubs offense.
19. Los Angeles Angels
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The Angels were dealt a serious blow when the Red Sox snatched up OF Carl Crawford from under their noses. Despite a steep payroll, the Angels finished in the bottom half of the league in runs scored and desperately needed Crawford’s bat in their lineup.
On the bright side, Kendry Morales is expected to be ready for spring training after a leg injury derailed his season.
With Morales, Torii Hunter and Bobby Abreu, the Angels offense has potential, but the addition of another bat (Adrian Beltre for example) would send them soaring up this list.
18. Los Angeles Dodgers
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Manny Ramirez is gone but the Dodgers still have plenty of offensive firepower. James Loney is a nice young player with a smooth swing while Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier are two of the better young outfielders in baseball.
The Dodgers ranked tenth to last in runs scored, but a large part of that has to be attributed to the fact that L.A. plays half its games in the spacious confines of Dodger Stadium.
17. New York Mets
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The Mets are another team with so many question marks. On paper this should be an incredible offense: David Wright, Jose Reyes, Jason Bay, Carlos Beltran.
Yet despite all the massive contracts those players received, the team finished with the seventh fewest runs in baseball.
With a new manager and a healthy lineup, the Mets should be in for an improvement, but how significant will their advancements be?
Carlos Beltran hasn’t played a full season since 2008 when he batted .284 with 27 home runs. If Beltran can stay healthy, this offense is quite potent, but in their new pitcher-friendly ballpark, I anticipate a very mediocre Mets lineup.
16. San Francisco Giants
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Don’t let the World Series rings fool you—this is not a great offensive team. Last season the Giants ranked in the middle of the pack in both team batting average and home runs. In fact, they would have ranked far lower were it not for the mid-season call-up of Buster Posey.
Other than Aubrey Huff, Posey is the only player in their lineup that ranks among the top 10 at their position. In only 108 games, BP batted .305 with18 homers and 67 RBI. Look for those numbers to improve as he establishes himself as one of the games premier backstops. But watch for his walks to rise as opposing pitchers decide to take their chances with his Giant teammates.
15. Florida Marlins
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The Marlins may have lost Dan Uggla but this is still a solid offense. Mike Stanton is the league’s future home-run king. After hitting 21 moon shots in 53 minor league games, the 6’5" outfielder earned a call-up and blasted another 22 dingers.
Stanton has mammoth power to all fields and he’ll have protection from his fellow young teammates. First baseman Gaby Sanchez was a nice surprise last season and Logan Morrison adapted well to his new position, batting .283 in 68 games.
Add in one of the games best players in Hanley Ramirez and this Marlins offense could be dynamic for years to come.
14. Atlanta Braves
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The Braves may have lost Derrek Lee, but the addition of Dan Uggla more than compensates.
The former Marlins second basemen has hit at least 30 home runs in each of the past four seasons—missing the milestone by only three in 2006. He will offer protection to Jason Heyward who has all the makings of a superstar.
The 21-year old lefty has absurd strength combined with incredible bat speed and cat-like reflexes, making Heyward a good bet for 30 dingers next season (he hit only 18 as a rookie).
13. St. Louis Cardinals
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Albert Pujols. That’s almost all you need to say. Sure the Cardinals have got phenomenal talent in youngster Colby Rasmus and Matt Holliday, but it all starts with Pujols.
The first baseman is almost a guaranteed .300-plus batting average, 40-plus homers and 100-plus RBI and has an impact on the entire line-up. He allows batters ahead of him to see more fastballs while those behind him in the order have far more RBI opportunities.
What scares me is his open market value. If a 29-year-old Crawford can earn $20 million per season even as his speed starts dwindling, what type of money will Pujols earn? I wouldn’t be surprised if he became baseball’s first $30 million per season player.
12. Colorado Rockies
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The Rockies lineup is so difficult to rank because there is no fair way to address the Coors effect. Colorado ranked eighth in baseball with 770 runs but look at the disparity between home and away numbers.
MVP candidate Carlos Gonzalez batted .380 with 26 homers at home while batting only .289 with eight home runs on the road.
The production of this offense makes the Rockies seem like a top five to ten lineup, but it’s not that level of talent. If the Brewers played in Colorado, they would post even more ridiculous numbers than the Rockies, which is why the Rockies ranking may seem low.
Still, Tulo is one of the best shortstops in the game (behind only Han-Ram), Car-Go looks like a good young player, and Ian Stewart has huge power potential.
11. Tampa Bay Rays
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The Rays offense is due for a significant drop off. While they still maintain Ben Zobrist and Evan Longoria, they have already lost Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena to free agency and have dealt Jason Bartlett to the Padres.
This offense ranked third in baseball last season but should see that ranking drop off.
One of the keys to the Rays offense will be the evolution of B.J. Upton. Despite vast athletic gifts, Upton has thus far been a waste of talent. His 18 home runs and 42 stolen bases last season were very impressive, but the .237 average is unacceptable.
Upton needs to take a leadership role and take up a teaching role with youngsters like Desmond Jennings. Unfortunately, sometimes you need to lead by example, meaning Upton will need to improve upon his putrid average.
10. Toronto Blue Jays
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With their new swing-happy approach, the Blue Jays offense took flight. Despite lacking a wealth of talent, the Jays ranked first in baseball in home runs (helped in large part by a shocking 54 bombs from Jose Bautista).
Rajai Davis’ speed at the top of the lineup will be a nice addition, while Aaron Hill and Adam Lind are both due for a big bounce back season.
Toronto ranked ninth in baseball in runs scored last season and could approach that figure again.
9. Milwaukee Brewers
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Rickie Weeks finally showed what type of talent he has while Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder make up one of the best 1-2 combos in all of baseball. Throw in Corey Hart and last season’s breakthrough star Casey McGehee and there is a lot of this to like about Milwaukee.
They have speed, power and average, but they are very young, with the 28-year old Hart serving as the lineup's elder statesman.
Those looking for a potential fantasy sleeper, look no further than center fielder Lorenzo Cain. Between three levels last season, the 24-year old stole 33 bases, and he batted .306 during his time in the show. If Cain can land a spot near the top of the batting order, he could end up shocking a lot of people.
8. Detroit Tigers
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The Tigers already had an above-average offense before adding one of the best hitting catchers in baseball. Detroit signed former Red Sox backstop Victor Martinez to a four-year deal worth $50 million, which should help sure up the middle of the Tigers line-up.
Martinez will join fellow Venezuelan countryman Miguel Cabrera, who was a triple crown threat last season before going down with an injury.
If Brennan Boesch can come closer to emulating the first half of his season (.342, 12 HR) than the last half (.163, 2 HR), and Austin Jackson continues to look like one of the better young leadoff hitters in baseball, Detroit could be a team to look out for.
7. Minnesota Twins
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Most people reserve their praise for Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer, but Delmon Young was the Twins most valuable player last season. The former top overall pick experienced a career year, batting at a .298 clip with 21 jacks and 112 ribbies.
Add in Denard Span, who brings speed and an ability to get on base to the top of the lineup, and you can see how the Twins finished sixth in runs scored and third in batting average.
6. Cincinnati Reds
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Last season Cincinnati came out of nowhere to make its first playoff appearance in decades. The key to their success? An offense that ranked third in baseball in runs. Joey Votto was a deserving MVP candidate and should come close to replicating last season’s stat line of .324, 37 and 113.
The Reds outfield is filled with unrealized potential as Jonny Gomes has immense power, as does Jay Bruce. Also, 26-year old Drew Stubbs hit 22 home runs and stole 30 bases in his first full major league season.
Brandon Phillips is one of the league’s premier second basemen and, although Cincinnati will likely fail to duplicate that success, they remain one of the NL’s top lineups.
5. Chicago White Sox
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Not only were the White Sox able to retain their nucleus, they were able to make a huge splash via free agency.
Perennial 40-homer hitter Adam Dunn signed a four-year deal with the White Sox and Paul Konerko re-upped with the team after demolishing AL pitching last season with 39 home runs, 111 RBI and a .312 average.
The White Sox have speed and power in the outfield with Pierre, Rios and Quentin while their infield is more of a question mark. Cuban defector Dayan Viciedo could start at third despite limited career at bats while Gordon Beckham tries to bounce back from a horrid sophomore slump.
If everything comes together for this team, they could have one of the scariest lineups in baseball.
4. Philadelphia Phillies
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Despite losing Jayson Werth to the Nationals, the Phillies will remain one of the most potent offenses in baseball. Not only do they still have MVP candidates in Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, they have a talented young player to replace Werth in Dominic Brown.
Brown was ranked one of Baseball America’s top prospects before last season when he batted .326 with 20 home runs between AA and AAA.
Add that to a lineup with no discernible weaknesses and it’s no surprise that Philly will likely be the preseason favorite to win the NL.
3. Texas Rangers
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Assuming Vladimir Guerrero returns to the Rangers lineup, Texas will once again boast one of baseball’s top offenses.
MVP winner Josh Hamilton is an absolute beast who is able to generate bat speed despite swinging the heaviest lumber in baseball. Vlad is a free swinger who can make contact with pitches two feet outside the strike zone. Mike Young is a consistent .300 hitter who you can count on for about 20 home runs per season.
Add in speed demon Elvis Andrus and Ian Kinsler and it’s tough not to like the Rangers (unless you happen to be a Yankee fan).
Nelson Cruz is strong as a bull and could hit 40 home runs if he stays healthy, but there in lies the problem. Hamilton, Vlad, Kinsler and Cruz have all struggled with injuries throughout their careers. If those four core players can stay healthy, Texas can challenge for the AL’s run lead.
If not, they will most likely drift closer to the middle of the pack.
2. New York Yankees
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With such a potent offense, it’s amazing to think that New York is not the top ranked lineup. Robinson Cano has emerged as arguably the best second baseman while Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira both rank amongst the top 15 hitters in baseball.
Derek Jeter may no longer be a premier shortstop but he’s still good for a .280 average with 15 homers and 20 steals, albeit with a comically oversized contract.
Curtis Granderson struggled last year after going 30 and 20 the prior season. Expect a bounce back from the talented centerfielder. The most underrated player on this offense? That would be Brett Gardner.
Gardner’s 47 steals and 97 runs are impressive but his ability to take pitches separates him from other hitters. This team has five potential 30 home run hitters and led baseball in runs last season, yet they still rank second to…
1. Boston Red Sox
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Last season the Red Sox offense ranked second in baseball despite serious injuries to key players like Jacoby Ellsbury, Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia. Theses injuries caused Boston to miss the playoffs, but the Red Sox addressed any offensive shortcomings in a big way by trading for Adrian Gonzalez and signing free agent Carl Crawford.
By adding the two best available offensive players, the Red Sox became the best offense in baseball overnight. Adrian Gonzalez may be a better hitter than Teixeira who should thrive with the short fence in left field.
The BoSox batting order now features five likely All-Stars in Gonzalez, Crawford, Youkilis, Pedroia and Ortiz. Add in a solid shortstop in Marco Scutaro and it almost doesn’t matter that the starting catcher spot is still up for grabs.
Fans have been turned off seeing two teams completely dominate this offseason, but the match-ups between Boston and New York should be epic.
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