Ranking the Starting Lineup of Every 2022 MLB Playoff Team
Friday, we ranked the starting rotation of each postseason team, with the Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets representing the cream of the crop.
Now it's time to look at the starting lineups.
The Seattle Mariners (18th) and Tampa Bay Rays (21st) were the only playoff teams that did not rank among the top half of MLB in runs scored, and the top eight teams in that category all reached the postseason.
Ahead, we've taken a closer look at the projected lineup of each of the 12 playoff clubs and ranked them based on top-tier talent, overall depth and recent performance.
12. Tampa Bay Rays
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Projected Starting Lineup
3B Yandy Díaz
LF Randy Arozarena
SS Wander Franco
1B Harold Ramírez
RF Manuel Margot
DH David Peralta
C Christian Bethancourt
2B Taylor Walls
CF José Siri
The versatile Tampa Bay Rays could put out a different starting lineup for every game.
Isaac Paredes tied for the team lead with 20 home runs in 381 plate appearances, and he started double-digit games at first base, second base and third base, but he is hitting just .139 with a .567 OPS in 89 plate appearances since the beginning of September. Catcher Francisco Mejía, first baseman Ji-Man Choi and utility infielder Jonathan Aranda are also candidates for a start.
A healthy Yandy Díaz can be a game-changer atop the lineup. He posted a 143 OPS+ with a .401 on-base percentage in 558 plate appearances in a 3.5-WAR season, but he's been plagued by a nagging shoulder injury down the stretch.
11. San Diego Padres
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Projected Starting Lineup
LF Jurickson Profar
RF Juan Soto
3B Manny Machado
2B Jake Cronenworth
1B Brandon Drury
DH Josh Bell
SS Ha-Seong Kim
C Austin Nola
CF José Azócar
The San Diego Padres have averaged just 4.0 runs per game since the beginning of September, and deadline additions Juan Soto (123 PA, .220 BA, .726 OPS) and Josh Bell (99 PA, .200 BA, .560 OPS) both fell short of expectations during that time.
Trent Grisham could see a start or two in center field, and Luis Campusano has been splitting time behind the plate with Austin Nola, but beyond that, expect the above lineup to be San Diego's go-to group throughout the postseason.
Jake Cronenworth was swinging a hot bat down the stretch, collecting at least one hit in nine of his last 10 games and posting a .297/.357/.541 line with six extra-base hits and 11 RBI during that span.
10. Seattle Mariners
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Projected Starting Lineup
CF Julio Rodríguez
1B Ty France
RF Mitch Haniger
3B Eugenio Suárez
DH Carlos Santana
C Cal Raleigh
LF Jarred Kelenic
SS J.P. Crawford
2B Adam Frazier
The Seattle Mariners were 75-57 this year when Julio Rodríguez was in the lineup, compared to 15-15 without him, so getting him back healthy in time for the postseason is a huge boon to their chances of advancing.
Slugger Mitch Haniger had six multi-hit games in his final nine contests, posting a .371/.425/.771 line with four home runs and 10 RBI during that stretch.
With Jesse Winker (neck) and Sam Haggerty (groin) both landing on the injured list in the final days of the regular season, the outfield is significantly less crowded, though Adam Frazier is an option at a corner spot with Abraham Toro handling second base.
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9. Cleveland Guardians
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Projected Starting Lineup
LF Steven Kwan
SS Amed Rosario
3B José Ramírez
1B Josh Naylor
DH Oscar González
2B Andrés Giménez
RF Will Brennan
C Austin Hedges
CF Myles Straw
Cleveland Guardians third baseman José Ramírez was his usual productive self this year, hitting .280/.355/.514 for a 148 OPS+ with 44 doubles, 29 home runs, 126 RBI and 6.0 WAR in 157 games. He has hit just .213 with a .572 OPS in 102 career plate appearances in the postseason, so bucking that trend will be a key to Cleveland's success.
Rookie Steven Kwan is hitting .311/.379/.419 in 100 games batting leadoff this year. He is hitting .360 in Cleveland wins and .204 in Cleveland losses, so it's fair to call him a crucial catalyst atop the order.
Outfielder Will Brennan made his MLB debut on Sept. 21 and hit .357/.400/.500 with three extra-base hits and two steals in 45 plate appearances down the stretch. That could be enough for him to seize a starting role, though Oscar González can also start in right field, which opens things up for super-utility man Gabriel Arias to make a start.
8. Philadelphia Phillies
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Projected Starting Lineup
LF Kyle Schwarber
1B Rhys Hoskins
DH Bryce Harper
C J.T. Realmuto
3B Alec Bohm
RF Nick Castellanos
CF Brandon Marsh
2B Jean Segura
SS Bryson Stott
The top four in the Philadelphia Phillies lineup are as potent as any in baseball, and the group includes NL home run leader Kyle Schwarber, who finished with 46 long balls and had a .944 OPS over the final month. However, the rest of the offense has been inconsistent enough that it is difficult to slot the Phillies any higher in these rankings.
The biggest X-factors will be third baseman Alec Bohm and right fielder Nick Castellanos.
After a red-hot July, Bohm hit just .250/.292/.371 in 250 plate appearances after Aug. 1, and after a 34-homer, 100-RBI season in 2021, Castellanos finished with a disappointing 95 OPS+ and .305 on-base percentage in his first season in Philadelphia.
Both are capable of more than they've shown recently, and getting them going at the plate would make this lineup significantly more formidable.
7. St. Louis Cardinals
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Projected Starting Lineup
2B Brendan Donovan
RF Lars Nootbaar
1B Paul Goldschmidt
3B Nolan Arenado
DH Albert Pujols
LF Corey Dickerson
CF Dylan Carlson
C Yadier Molina
SS Tommy Edman
The St. Louis Cardinals have been anchored all season by the one-two punch of Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado in the middle of the lineup, but both players slumped over the season's final month. Goldschmidt hit .245 with a .716 OPS and fell out of the NL batting title race, while Arenado had a .221 average and .649 OPS with just two home runs in his final 106 plate appearances.
Can they right the ship in October?
Meanwhile, as Tyler O'Neill is sidelined because of a hamstring strain, left field figures to be a revolving door with Corey Dickerson, Juan Yepez and Alec Burleson all in the mix for playing time.
This group can be great, but there's a lot resting on the shoulders of Albert Pujols and the young duo of Brendan Donovan and Lars Nootbaar if Goldschmidt and Arenado are not in peak form.
6. Houston Astros
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Projected Starting Lineup
2B José Altuve
SS Jeremy Peña
DH Yordan Álvarez
3B Alex Bregman
RF Kyle Tucker
1B Yuli Gurriel
LF Trey Mancini
CF Chas McCormick
C Martin Maldonado
The strength of the Houston Astros is their starting pitching, but there is still plenty of thunder in the middle of the lineup.
Slugger Yordan Álvarez finished second in the majors with a 187 OPS+ while hitting .306/.406/.613 with 37 home runs, while Jose Altuve and Kyle Tucker were once again among the best in baseball at their respective positions.
Which Alex Bregman will show up in October? He hit .362/.452/.681 with seven home runs and 22 RBI in August but followed that with a .222/.339/.354 line in the final month of the season. His ability to protect Álvarez will be a key factor.
Deadline pickup Christian Vázquez could see a few starts behind the plate, while Jake Meyers and Mauricio Dubon both saw semi-regular action in center field during the season.
5. New York Yankees
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Projected Starting Lineup
RF Aaron Judge
1B Anthony Rizzo
2B Gleyber Torres
3B Josh Donaldson
DH Giancarlo Stanton
LF Oswaldo Cabrera
CF Harrison Bader
SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa
C Jose Trevino
The light-hitting trio of Harrison Bader, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Jose Trevino at the bottom of the lineup keeps the New York Yankees from ranking any higher, but this group still finished second in the majors in runs scored, and Aaron Judge is the best hitter on the planet.
Gleyber Torres is a major X-factor hitting in the No. 3 spot after he batted .323/.389/.573 with six doubles, six home runs and 25 RBI in his final 24 games.
Versatile veteran DJ LeMahieu missed most of September with a toe injury, and he is hitting just .111/.200/.111 in 61 plate appearances over his last 15 games, so his role on the postseason roster might be limited.
Could we see Oswald Peraza steal playing time from Kiner-Falefa at shortstop? The highly regarded prospect hit .306/.404/.429 with three doubles and one home run in 57 plate appearances after making his MLB debut on Sept. 2.
4. New York Mets
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Projected Starting Lineup
CF Brandon Nimmo
RF Starling Marte
SS Francisco Lindor
1B Pete Alonso
2B Jeff McNeil
DH Dan Vogelbach
3B Eduardo Escobar
LF Mark Canha
C James McCann
The health of Starling Marte will be a major factor for the New York Mets offensively. The 33-year-old was a 3.8-WAR player this season, posting a 132 OPS+ with 45 extra-base hits and 18 steals, but he didn't play in the final 26 regular-season games while recovering from a fractured finger.
If Marte is not in the lineup, the light-hitting Guillorme, who batted .232 with a .598 OPS after the All-Star break, and catcher James McCann, who hit .195 with a 55 OPS+ on the year, leave the Mets with a hole at the bottom of the order.
With their pitching and the middle-of-the-order trio of Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and McNeil slotted behind on-base machine Brandon Nimmo, they can still score more than enough runs to be a title threat.
3. Toronto Blue Jays
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Projected Starting Lineup
CF George Springer
SS Bo Bichette
1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
DH Alejandro Kirk
3B Matt Chapman
RF Teoscar Hernández
LF Raimel Tapia
C Danny Jansen
2B Whit Merrifield
The Toronto Blue Jays were third in the majors with a .760 team OPS, and top-to-bottom their lineup is as productive as any in baseball. A resurgent Bo Bichette is hitting .337/.378/.543 since the All-Star break, and .406/.444/.662 in his last 32 games, which has helped take this group to another level.
The health of Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (hamstring) will be a major factor if they can advance beyond the wild-card round, but they will be without him for their opening series after he was left off the roster.
Left-handed-hitting Raimel Tapia will be the starting left fielder in his absence, while the return of Santiago Espinal could mean that Whit Merrifield also sees some action at a corner outfield spot.
2. Atlanta Braves
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Projected Starting Lineup
RF Ronald Acuña Jr.
SS Dansby Swanson
CF Michael Harris II
3B Austin Riley
1B Matt Olson
C Travis d'Arnaud
DH Marcell Ozuna
LF Eddie Rosario
2B Orlando Arcia
The Atlanta Braves finished second in home runs and third in runs scored, and the emergence of Michael Harris II has helped take their lineup to another level. The NL Rookie of the Year front-runner moved into the No. 3 spot in the batting order on Sept. 28, and that could be where we see him in October.
Marcell Ozuna hit .321/.368/.585 in 57 plate appearances over his last 16 games, and as long as he keeps hitting, he'll be the team's primary designated hitter in the playoffs. William Contreras should still see starts at both catcher and designated hitter.
The expectation is that Ozzie Albies will not be ready to go for the NLDS, though he could still return later if the Braves advance. Rookie Vaughn Grissom filled the second base void for several weeks, but he is hitting .174/.264/.196 in his last 15 games, and it's telling that Orlando Arcia started the final nine games of the season at second.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
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Projected Starting Lineup
RF Mookie Betts
SS Trea Turner
1B Freddie Freeman
C Will Smith
DH Justin Turner
3B Max Muncy
2B Gavin Lux
LF Trayce Thompson
CF Cody Bellinger
It's almost unfair that the team that led the majors in ERA also ranks No. 1 in OPS (.775) and runs scored (847). The Los Angeles Dodgers have simply been juggernauts all season en route to a franchise-record 111 wins.
Veteran Justin Turner is hitting .350/.417/.569 with 17 extra-base hits and 23 RBI in 33 games since Aug. 20, and he has an .846 OPS with 19 doubles, 13 home runs and 42 RBI in 82 career postseason games.
Expect to see Trayce Thompson, Joey Gallo and Chris Taylor all split time in left field, while Turner and Max Muncy could alternate between third base and designated hitter to keep both fresh.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference.
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