Ranking All 30 MLB Lineups Ahead of Opening Day 2023
Pitching wins championships, but it's hard to even make it to the MLB postseason without an offense that can consistently put runs on the board.
The top eight teams in runs scored last season all made the playoffs, and only the upstart Seattle Mariners and pitching-focused Tampa Bay Rays reached the postseason while ranking outside the top half of the league.
After a busy offseason of roster shuffling, it's time for an updated look at how all 30 lineups stack up heading into the 2023 season.
Lineups are ranked based on star power, lack of holes, depth and recent production, with what is expected to be each team's go-to lineup during the 2023 season used as the baseline for these rankings.
Note: An asterisk indicates that a player will not start the season on the active roster, but he is still expected to be a regular member of the lineup for the bulk of the 2023 season.
Nos. 30-26
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30. Oakland Athletics
Seth Brown posted a 116 OPS+ with 25 home runs and 73 RBI last season, and he might be the only above-average hitter on the Oakland roster in 2023. Offseason additions Jesús Aguilar, Jace Peterson, Aledmys Díaz, Esteury Ruiz and Ryan Noda do very little to move the needle, especially considering they lost star catcher Sean Murphy.
29. Washington Nationals
Unlike the Athletics, the Nationals at least have upside in their lineup, with young players like CJ Abrams, Keibert Ruiz and Luis Garcia capable of taking a step forward in their development. The Nats also did well buying low on Jeimer Candelario and Dominic Smith as reclamation projects and potential trade chips. Can Joey Meneses replicate his stellar debut?
28. Detroit Tigers
The Tigers were one of baseball's biggest disappointments last season. Newcomers Javier Báez and Austin Meadows fell short of expectations, and the same was true of rising top prospects Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson. Those four players need to be the core of this lineup if this team is going to have any chance of avoiding the AL Central cellar.
27. Cincinnati Reds
With healthy seasons from Tyler Stephenson and Jonathan India, free-agent signing Wil Myers and plenty of rising prospect talent, like third baseman Spencer Steer and a wealth of middle infielders, the Reds have upside. It just might take them a few years to deliver on that potential.
26. Colorado Rockies
Remember the "Blake Street Bombers" during the 1990s with Larry Walker, Andrés Galarraga, Vinny Castilla and Dante Bichette? Nostalgia and memories might be all Rockies fans have to lean on this year. A healthy season from Kris Bryant and a strong debut from shortstop Ezequiel Tovar would help, but this just isn't a very good team.
Nos. 25-21
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25. Pittsburgh Pirates
With the young offensive core of Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz and Ke'Bryan Hayes joined by offseason additions Andrew McCutchen, Carlos Santana and Ji-Man Choi, the Pirates could surprise some people offensively. Top prospect Endy Rodriguez has "take the league by storm" type upside, and he should debut at some point in 2023.
24. Kansas City Royals
There is a lot to like about the top of the order of MJ Melendez, Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino, but there is a significant drop-off after those four. Pasquantino could be one of the breakout stars of 2023 based on his stellar debut. Can promising young players like Drew Waters and Michael Massey join that core group?
23. Miami Marlins
The additions of Luis Arraez and Jean Segura should provide a nice offensive boost for the Marlins, and it's also tough to imagine Jorge Soler (95 OPS+, 13 HR, 34 RBI) and Avisaíl García (65 OPS+, 8 HR, 35 RBI) not accidentally improving on their 2022 numbers. A breakthrough season from Bryan De La Cruz, Jesús Sánchez or Peyton Burdick in left field would plug a glaring hole.
22. San Francisco Giants
Rather than plugging Aaron Judge or Carlos Correa into the middle of the lineup, the Giants settled on Mitch Haniger and Michael Conforto as the big additions after deals with those two superstars fell apart. This is still a collection of second- and third-tier hitters without a clear-cut star on the offense, and their ranking here reflects that fact.
21. Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox lost Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez in free agency and Trevor Story to elbow surgery, and they added Masataka Yoshida, Justin Turner and Adam Duvall in free agency. It's hard not to look at that exchange of talent as a step backward, even if Yoshida makes a smooth transition after starring in the Japanese League. Rookie first baseman Triston Casas will be the X-factor offensively.
Nos. 20-16
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20. Texas Rangers
A year after spending $500 million to sign Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, the Rangers turned their attention to upgrading the starting rotation this offseason. The foursome of Seager, Semien, Nathaniel Lowe and Adolis García is rock solid, but the development of Jonah Heim, Josh Jung and Ezequiel Duran will decide how high this offense ultimately ranks.
19. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays did not make any notable outside additions to their lineup, but they should benefit from healthy seasons by Brandon Lowe (65 games), Wander Franco (83 games) and Manuel Margot (89 games). Top prospect Curtis Mead could also provide a major in-house boost after hitting .298/.390/.532 with 40 extra-base hits in 76 games between Double-A and Triple-A.
18. Chicago Cubs
Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ and Patrick Wisdom are the only holdovers in the Cubs' projected Opening Day lineup; Dansby Swanson, Trey Mancini, Cody Bellinger, Eric Hosmer, Edwin Ríos and Tucker Barnhart were all added in free agency. The range of outcomes with this offense is wide, but there is undeniable upside.
17. Arizona Diamondbacks
Consider this ranking a reflection of optimism that Corbin Carroll, Jake McCarthy, Gabriel Moreno, Alek Thomas and Kyle Lewis will join Ketel Marte and Christian Walker to form an offensive core that makes the D-backs surprise contenders in 2023. Can Evan Longoria still be an impact bat in a part-time role?
16. Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles have one of the most productive outfields in baseball with Cedric Mullins, Anthony Santander and Austin Hays. They are joined by 30-homer slugger Ryan Mountcastle and rising young superstars Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson to form an underrated offensive group. To top it off, rising prospects Kyle Stowers, Jordan Westburg, Joey Ortiz, Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad could all make an impact in 2023.
Nos. 15-11
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15. Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers added some thump to the middle of the lineup by trading for William Contreras and Jesse Winker, who will join Willy Adames and Rowdy Tellez in the middle of the lineup. Rookies Brice Turang and Garrett Mitchell both break camp with a starting job, and they could be joined by Sal Frelick and Joey Wiemer early in the 2023 season.
14. Chicago White Sox
Tim Anderson (79 games), Eloy Jiménez (84 games) and Luis Robert Jr. (98 games) all missed significant time last year, so just keeping that trio healthy would go a long way toward improving the White Sox offense. Andrew Benintendi fills a major void in left field, while top prospect Oscar Colas can make a significant impact at the other outfield corner in his rookie season.
13. Minnesota Twins
Catcher Christian Vázquez, first baseman/outfielder Joey Gallo and center fielder Michael A. Taylor all have a chance to be solid under-the-radar pickups for the Twins, while retaining Carlos Correa after a long, winding offseason was a major win. It's not long ago the Twins had one of the most potent lineups in baseball, and this group has top-10 upside if everything clicks.
12. Cleveland Guardians
Last year's emergence of rookie corner outfielders Steven Kwan and Oscar Gonzalez plugged the two biggest holes in the Cleveland lineup, and breakout seasons from Andrés Giménez and Josh Naylor provided some needed support for superstar José Ramírez. He now has a proven middle-of-the-order slugger hitting behind him after Josh Bell inked a two-year, $33 million deal in free agency.
11. Seattle Mariners
The Mariners replaced underperforming Adam Frazier and oft-injured Mitch Haniger with Kolten Wong and Teoscar Hernández during the offseason, and they also signed veteran AJ Pollock to a one-year, $7 million deal. Julio Rodríguez had a 28-homer, 25-steal, 6.2-WAR rookie season, and he may just be scratching the surface of his long-term potential.
Nos. 10-6
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10. Philadelphia Phillies
Even with Bryce Harper sidelined until midseason while he recovers from Tommy John surgery and Rhys Hoskins out indefinitely with a torn ACL, the Phillies still have a loaded offense. Prized free-agent signing Trea Turner joins NL home run leader Kyle Schwarber, star catcher J.T. Realmuto, bounce-back candidate Nick Castellanos and young up-and-comers Alec Bohm, Brandon Marsh and Bryson Stott.
9. Los Angeles Angels
The Angels added a pair of versatile veterans in Brandon Drury and Gio Urshela during the offseason, and that should leave them better equipped to deal with injuries over the course of the season. Hunter Renfroe joins Mike Trout and Taylor Ward in the outfield, while two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani continues to be an MVP candidate for his offensive production alone. This could be a top-five offense in 2023.
8. Los Angeles Dodgers
With Trea Turner, Cody Bellinger and Justin Turner gone in free agency and Gavin Lux out with a torn ACL, this is a new-look Dodgers lineup. That said, it is still anchored by superstars Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman and one of the best offensive catchers in the game in Will Smith. There is also high-ceiling young talent in Miguel Vargas, James Outman and, eventually, Michael Busch and Andy Pages.
7. New York Yankees
The Yankees spent $360 million to keep Aaron Judge, but they didn't make any significant outside additions to the lineup. A full season of center fielder Harrison Bader and the arrival of top prospect Anthony Volpe as the starting shortstop will be the biggest changes to the offense, but this lineup is again counting on major contributions from Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson, Gleyber Torres, DJ LeMahieu and Anthony Rizzo.
6. New York Mets
Top prospects Francisco Álvarez and Brett Baty will eventually join the Mets lineup, but the only major change from last year to start the season will be Omar Narváez replacing James McCann behind the plate. The Mets ranked fifth in the majors in runs scored (772) and sixth in team OPS (.744) last year and should again provide plenty of run support for their high-profile starting rotation.
5. St. Louis Cardinals
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2023 Go-To Lineup
1. 2B Brendan Donovan
2. RF Lars Nootbaar
3. 1B Paul Goldschmidt
4. 3B Nolan Arenado
5. C Willson Contreras
6. CF Tyler O'Neill
7. DH Nolan Gorman
8. LF Jordan Walker
9. SS Tommy Edman
Bench: C Andrew Knizner, IF/OF Taylor Motter, OF Alec Burleson, OF Dylan Carlson
The St. Louis Cardinals averaged almost six runs per game during a 22-7 month of August that helped them claim the NL Central title, which was a great example of the upside this lineup has going into the 2023 season.
Catcher Willson Contreras signed a five-year, $87.5 million deal in free agency, and he should be a major upgrade over an aging Yadier Molina, while top prospect Jordan Walker is arguably an even bigger addition to the lineup.
Walker, 20, hit .306/.388/.510 with 31 doubles, 19 home runs and 68 RBI at Double-A last season, and he played his way onto the MLB roster with a strong spring training.
The one-two punch of Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado in the middle of the lineup will continue to be a driving force, but this is a complete lineup top to bottom.
4. Toronto Blue Jays
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2023 Go-To Lineup
1. RF George Springer
2. SS Bo Bichette
3. 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
4. LF Daulton Varsho
5. C Alejandro Kirk
6. DH Brandon Belt
7. 3B Matt Chapman
8. 2B Whit Merrifield
9. CF Kevin Kiermaier
Bench: C Danny Jansen, IF Santiago Espinal, IF/OF Cavan Biggio, OF Nathan Lukes
The Toronto Blue Jays lineup skewed extremely right-handed last year, and addressing that was a focal point of the offseason when they added left-handed hitters Daulton Varsho, Brandon Belt and Kevin Kiermaier to provide more balance.
Varsho, George Springer, Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Matt Chapman all have legitimate 30-homer potential, while Alejandro Kirk has the hit tool to be a perennial contender for the AL batting title for years to come.
Second base could be a matter of playing the hot hand with Whit Merrifield, Santiago Espinal and Cavan Biggio all in the mix. Meanwhile, Danny Jansen might be the most productive backup catcher in baseball, though Travis d'Arnaud (ATL) is also in that conversation.
The Blue Jays led the AL with a .760 OPS last season, and despite trading away Teoscar Hernández and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., this could be an even better group offensively.
3. San Diego Padres
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2023 Go-To Lineup
1. RF Fernando Tatis Jr.*
2. LF Juan Soto
3. 3B Manny Machado
4. SS Xander Bogaerts
5. 1B Jake Cronenworth
6. DH Matt Carpenter
7. 2B Ha-Seong Kim
8. CF Trent Grisham
9. C Austin Nola
Bench: C Luis Campusano, IF Rougned Odor, OF Adam Engel, DH Nelson Cruz
We are ranking the San Diego Padres based on what the lineup will look like once Fernando Tatis Jr. returns from serving the final 20 games of his PED suspension, and it looks awfully good.
Put those top four guys in any order you like, and they are the best 1-4 of any lineup in baseball. Their cumulative offensive upside is the biggest reason this is a top-five lineup heading into 2023.
The designated hitter platoon of Matt Carpenter and Nelson Cruz has the potential to produce at a very high level while keeping both veterans fresh. And Ha-Seong Kim was an impact leadoff hitter last season who will now move into more of a run-production role.
The general lack of quality depth up and down the lineup raises some questions about how this team will navigate the injuries that inevitably arise during a 162-game schedule, but the peak potential of this group is undeniable.
2. Atlanta Braves
9 of 10
2023 Go-To Lineup
1. RF Ronald Acuña Jr.
2. 1B Matt Olson
3. 3B Austin Riley
4. DH Marcell Ozuna
5. CF Michael Harris II
6. 2B Ozzie Albies
7. C Sean Murphy
8. LF Eddie Rosario
9. SS Vaughn Grissom*
Bench: C Travis d'Arnaud, IF Orlando Arcia, OF Sam Hilliard, OF Kevin Pillar
With Ronald Acuña Jr. another year removed from his torn ACL and Ozzie Albies at full strength after an injury-plagued 2022 season, the Atlanta Braves should have two key members of their lineup back to performing at an elite level.
They will also benefit from a full season of Michael Harris II, who did not make his MLB debut until May 28 last year en route to a 19-homer, 20-steal, 5.3-WAR debut and NL Rookie of the Year honors.
Left field is still up in the air, and this might be the last chance for Marcell Ozuna to prove he can still be a significant run producer, but there is more than enough talent in this lineup to offset those question marks.
Despite starting the season at Triple-A, it would be a shock if Vaughn Grissom is not the team's primary shortstop for the bulk of the 2023 season, so he has been included in the team's projected lineup.
1. Houston Astros
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2023 Go-To Lineup
1. 2B José Altuve*
2. RF Kyle Tucker
3. 3B Alex Bregman
4. DH Yordan Alvarez
5. 1B José Abreu
6. SS Jeremy Peña
7. LF Michael Brantley*
8. CF Chas McCormick
9. C Martín Maldonado
Bench: C Yainer Díaz, IF David Hensley, IF/OF Mauricio Dubón, OF Jake Meyers
Even with both José Altuve (fractured thumb) and Michael Brantley (shoulder surgery) sidelined to start the year, the Houston Astros still have arguably the best lineup in baseball. They will be a slam dunk for the No. 1 spot once they are back to full strength.
The team's first basemen hit .235/.285/.371 with 14 home runs and 62 RBI last year, so José Abreu should be a major upgrade at a premium offensive position after signing a three-year, $58.5 million deal.
The catcher position could undergo a changing of the guard with defensive-minded veteran Martín Maldonado eventually giving way to the up-and-coming duo of Yainer Diaz and Korey Lee, and that will also mean an uptick in offensive production.
With a stacked starting rotation and a loaded bullpen, it's almost unfair the Houston Astros also have such a potent offensive attack.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference.
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