MLB Power Rankings: The Heart of Each Team's Lineup

In order to succeed, a major league baseball team needs a solid core of hitters to form the heart of their batting lineup.

So while the MLB offseason isn't done just yet, it's close enough to being over that we can start to speculate starting lineups for each of the 30 teams. And since we can do that, let's take a look at the heart of each team's order—but remember that neither Prince Fielder nor Carlos Pena, among others, have signed yet. Once they do, it could change the entire landscape.

Read on to see the heart of each team's order.

30. Houston Astros

J.D. Martinez, Carlos Lee and Jason Castro

The heart of the Astros' lineup doesn't exactly strike fear into opposing pitchers.

Left fielder J.D. Martinez hit .274 with 35 RBI in 53 games last season. Catcher Jason Castro didn't play in the big leagues at all in 2011 but big things are expected of him in 2012.

Almost all of Houston's power lies with first baseman Carlos Lee (pictured), who led the team in batting average (.275), home runs (18), runs (66), RBI (94), on base percentage (.342) and hits (161).

29. Oakland Athletics

Coco Crisp, Josh Reddick and Chris Carter

Offense has been a problem for the A's for years now and 2012 will be no different.

Oakland will have to rely on center fielder Coco Crisp, who hit .264 with 69 runs and 49 stolen bases in 2011, to lead a very inexperienced team. Behind him lie two question marks.

Right fielder Josh Reddick (pictured) will have to bring power to the O.co Coliseum after being a solid role player for the Boston Red Sox last season. And then there's designated Chris Carter who has been a very highly touted prospect but has yet to produce at the major league level.

It's going to be a rough year in Oakland.

28. New York Mets

David Wright, Jason Bay and Ike Davis

Citi Field hasn't been as kind to the Mets as their old home Shea Stadium was. 

Ever since becoming a Met, left fielder Jason Bay has put up some of the worst numbers of his career—a .251 batting average with 104 RBI and 18 home runs in two seasons. First baseman Ike Davis is expected to take on a much bigger role in 2012 after batting .302 in 36 games last year, but he is still only 24.

The Mets will look to third baseman David Wright (pictured) to be the leader after a down year in 2011 during which he only hit .254 with 61 RBI.

27. Chicago Cubs

Marlon Byrd, Alfonso Soriano and David DeJesus

It's 2012 and times are still tough at Wrigley Field.

Two of the Cubs' best sluggers from 2011, Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Pena, are now gone. That means that left fielder Alfonso Soriano (pictured) must slide up and take on a bigger role.

Last season, Soriano hit .244 with 26 home runs and 88 RBI. Around him in the order will be center fielder Marlon Byrd who hit .276 last season and a newcomer, right fielder David DeJesus. DeJesus hit only .240 with 46 RBI last season with the Oakland Athletics. 

26. San Diego Padres

Chase Headley, Carlos Quentin and Yonder Alonso

Just two years after contending for a National League West title, it seems that the San Diego Padres are in rebuilding mode yet again.

You can see that just by looking at the heart of their batting order.

Neither third baseman Chase Headley (pictured) nor left fielder Carlos Quentin hit above .300, and Headley only drove in 44 runs last season.

While Yonder Alonso might not start out the season as the starting first baseman in San Diego, he will end the season as the starter. In just 47 games last year, the 24-year-old hit .330 with five home runs.

25. Seattle Mariners

Jesus Montero, Mike Carp and Justin Smoak

The Mariners made a big move when they traded pitcher Michael Pineda to the New York Yankees for a young player who can hit the ball, Jesus Montero (pictured).

Last year in New York, Montero hit .328 with 12 RBI and four home runs in only 18 games. He's a star in the making and gives Seattle some much needed offense.

But around him are two players who we're still waiting to find out if they are the real deal or not. Left fielder Mike Carp had solid year, hitting .276 with 46 RBI in only 89 games. First baseman Justin Smoak is highly thought of but only put up a .231 batting average in 2011.

24. Pittsburgh Pirates

Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker and Garrett Jones 

Center fielder Andrew McCutchen (pictured) is clearly the cream of the crop on the Pirates hitting .259 with 89 RBI and 87 runs on the season. He also hit 23 home runs.

If the Pirates want to improve on 2011, they will need more production around McCutchen. Second baseman Neil Walker had a solid 2011 and if he can improve his .273 batting average and 83 RBI, they will be in better shape. First baseman Garrett Jones only hit .243 with 16 home runs and 58 RBI.

23. Chicago White Sox

Paul Konerko, A.J. Pierzynski and Adam Dunn

Paul Konerko (pictured) is still a stud and showed it last season by batting .300 with 105 RBI and 31 home runs, though he is 35. Catcher A.J. Pierzynski wasn't too bad either with a  .287 batting average, but he only drove in 48 runs.

But Adam Dunn was a huge disappointment in 2011 with only a .159 batting average and 42 RBI—and 177 strikeouts. But given how horribly he played in 2011, he should be able to play better in 2012.

22. Baltimore Orioles

Adam Jones, Matt Wieters and Mark Reynolds 

The Orioles have a lot of potential in the heart of their lineup but they have yet to all live up to it. 

Center fielder Adam Jones (pictured) is a great young player who is only 25 and made the All-Star team in 2009 and is better than he was back then. Last season he hit .280 with 83 RBI.

Catcher Matt Wieters has taken some time to come around but put together a solid year with a .262 batting average, a .328 OBP and 22 home runs. Mark Reynolds has all of the power in the world—he hit 37 home runs—but also had a terrible .221 batting average and 196 strikeouts.

21. Cleveland Indians

Asdrubal Cabrera, Carlos Santana and Travis Hafner

Asdrubal Cabrera really came into his own in 2011 by hitting .273 with 25 home runs and 92 RBI. If he can keep that up in 2012, he can cement himself as one of the best shortstops in the game. Behind him in the batting order is young catcher Carlos Santana who is slowly becoming a very feared hitter and will be one once he starts making better contact. Last year he hit .273 with 27 home runs.

Travis Hafner is the designated hitter and his power has dropped off significantly in recent years. In 2011 he hit .280 but with only 13 home runs and 57 RBI.

20. Arizona Diamondbacks

Justin Upton, Stephen Drew and Chris Young

Justin Upton (pictured) put together an MVP-caliber season in 2011 with a .289 batting average, 105 runs, 88 RBI, 31 home runs and a .369 OBP while playing right field.

But shortstop Stephen Drew is a bit of a question mark after missing most of the 2011 season with a fractured ankle. And center fielder Chris Young only hit .236 in 2011 and has never hit above .257 in his career. It's unlikely that he'll keep developing into a top-tier hitter.

19. Toronto Blue Jays

Jose Bautista, Adam Lind and J.P. Arencibia 

The Blue Jays have put together a solid team that is only a piece or two away from possibly contending for a division title in the American League East. A huge part of that has been the emergence of right fielder Jose Bautista (pictured).

Bautista hit .302 with 103 RBI and 43 home runs and is clearly the best hitter north of the border. Behind him, he needs more support. Third baseman Brett Lawrie could be that support but for now it's first baseman Adam Lind and catcher J.P. Arencibia who combined for a .235 batting average and 165 RBI in 2011.

18. Tampa Bay Rays

Evan Longoria, Ben Zobrist and Matt Joyce

Could this be the year that third baseman Evan Longoria (pictured) finally emerges as an American League MVP candidate? If he can bounce back from a year in which he hit .244 and with only 99 RBI, he might be able to.

Ben Zobrist put together a good year hitting .269 with 91 RBI and is consistent at the plate. Right fielder Matt Joyce had a good year and made the All-Star team but will need to improve in 2012 to make the heart of the order more powerful.

17. San Francisco Giants

Pablo Sandoval, Buster Posey and Aubrey Huff

The Giants suffered a huge blow when they lost Buster Posey (pictured) for most of 2011 after he played a significant role in their World Series title the year before. His presence makes the Giants a lot stronger. 

Third baseman Pablo Sandoval had a great season in 2011 with a .315 batting average and 23 home runs. If he can stay in shape, they'll be set.

16. Milwaukee Brewers

Ryan Braun, Corey Hart and Alex Gonzalez

The Brewers have to deal with the loss of first baseman Prince Fielder, which makes their offense look a lot less intimidating.

That being said, they still have 2011 National League MVP Ryan Braun (pictured) who hit .332 with 111 RBI and 32 home runs. Right fielder Corey Hart will need to fill in and take a bigger role for the Brewers after hitting .285 with only 63 RBI last year. Newly acquired shortstop Alex Gonzalez will also need to have a solid year at the plate to help out Milwaukee.

15. St. Louis Cardinals

Matt Holliday, Lance Berkman and Carlos Beltran

Like the Brewers, the Cardinals also have to deal with losing their best slugger. Albert Pujols' departure leaves a gaping hole in the St. Louis lineup and it will be tough to fill it.

Left fielder Matt Holliday and first baseman Lance Berkman (pictured) will have to fill the void in 2012. Berkman had a great season with a .301 batting average, 94 RBI and 90 runs last year but it's hard to believe that the 35-year-old can repeat that. Holliday will really need to improve after only driving in 75 runs last year.

Now joining them will be Carlos Beltran who hit .300 with 84 RBI last season.

14. Atlanta Braves

Chipper Jones, Brian McCann and Dan Uggla

As third baseman Chipper Jones continues to age, he most likely won't reproduce the numbers he put up in 2011 when he hit .275 with 70 RBI.

But luckily for the Braves, Brian McCann (pictured) is the best-hitting catcher in the National League and his numbers back him up—.270 batting average with 71 RBI and very timely hitting. Also, there's no way that Dan Uggla has as bad of a season as he did in 2011 when he only hit .233. With a better batting average, his RBI should increase from his total of 86 last season.

13. Kansas City Royals

Billy Butler, Eric Hosmer and Jeff Francoeur

The Kansas City Royals have a lot of good, young talent and that shows in the heart of their batting order.

Designated hitter Billy Butler continues to grow as he hit .291 with 95 RBI last season while Jeff Francoeur had one of his best seasons in a few years. Francoeur hit .285 with 87 RBI and stole 22 bases.

But their best guy at the plate is budding superstar Eric Hosmer. As a rookie in 2011, he hit .293 and drove in 78 runs. He should play even better next season.

12. Washington Nationals

Ryan Zimmerman, Michael Morse and Jayson Werth

If the Nationals want to make a push for the playoffs in this upcoming season, they must improve at the plate. Luckily for them, they have the ability.

Right fielder Jayson Werth (pictured) had a terrible 2011 with a .232 batting average and 58 RBI. So if the Nats want to turn it around, Werth needs to play to his potential. 

Michael Morse is hitting his prime and could be even better than last season when he led the entire team in batting average, home runs, RBI, walks, on base percentage and OPS. And third baseman Ryan Zimmerman also needs to come back from an injury-plagued season.

And look out for Bryce Harper, the top prospect in all of baseball who could be making his debut this season.

11. Los Angeles Dodgers

Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp and Juan Rivera

Andre Ethier always starts out very well for the Dodgers but then cools off by the end of the season. In 2011 he had a 27-game hitting streak early on but had to be shut down to finish the season due to knee problems. Regardless, he still hit .291 with 66 runs and 62 RBI.

Batting cleanup is potential MVP candidate Matt Kemp (pictured). Kemp had a career year with a .324 batting average, 126 RBI, 115 runs, 40 stolen bases and 39 home runs in 2011. Kemp fell just short of winning the Triple Crown and joining the 40-40 club so even if his numbers drop off, he is still one of the best hitters in all of baseball.

The weak link is Juan Rivera who played well in 62 games, hitting .274 with 46 RBI, but he just doesn't compare to Ethier or Kemp.

10. Miami Marlins

Hanley Ramirez, Mike Stanton and Logan Morrison

Assuming Hanley Ramirez's (pictured) switch to third base doesn't throw him in a funk, he should have a much better year offensively than he did in 2011 when he only hit .243 with 45 RBI. However, the biggest boost in the Marlins' lineup should come from Mike Stanton.

Stanton will be a full-time starter again in 2011 and his numbers should skyrocket as he has amazing potential. Last season, the 21-year-old hit .262 with 34 home runs and 87 RBI. 

Logan Morrison is their third young player who has good potential. In 2011, he hit .247 with 23 home runs and 72 RBI at 23 years of age.

9. Cincinnati Reds

Joey Votto, Jay Bruce and Scott Rolen

Joey Votto (pictured) didn't play as well in 2011 as he did in 2010 but he still had a great year, and you can expect the same thing next season. He hit .309 with 103 RBI and 29 home runs. Behind him is right fielder Jay Bruce who is good in his own right; in 2011, he batted .256 with 97 RBI and 32 homers.

Scott Rolen is getting older and could drop further off from his 2011 season when he only hit .242 with 36 RBI. Don't be surprised if he drops down in the batting order as the season goes on.

8. Philadelphia Phillies

Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley 

The Phillies' heart of the order is getting older, but they are still very dangerous.

Shortstop Jimmy Rollins brings a combination of power and speed that showed last season in his 16 home runs, 63 RBI and 30 stolen bases. First baseman Ryan Howard (pictured) brings power to the table with his 33 home runs and 116 RBI last season—his sixth straight season with at least 30 home runs and 100 RBI.

Second baseman Chase Utley had a modest 2011 with a .259 batting average and 54 runs. He is already 33, like Rollins, and could be slowing down.

7. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Albert Pujols, Torii Hunter and Mark Trumbo

Albert Pujols (pictured) will continue to be himself, even with his switch to the American League. In 2011 with the Cardinals, he hit .299 with 105 runs, 99 RBI and 37 home runs.

But while Torii Hunter put up solid numbers, hitting .262 with 82 RBI, 80 runs and 23 home runs, he is 36 years old. Mark Trumbo also had a good year in 2011 (.254 with 87 RBI and 29 home runs), his rookie year, but can he keep those numbers up? We'll have to wait and see.

6. Colorado Rockies

Carlos Gonzalez, Troy Tulowitzki and Michael Cuddyer

Carlos Gonzalez is one of the best young talents in the game today and his numbers back him up. Last year, he hit .290 with 92 RBI, 92 runs, 26 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Troy Tulowitzki (pictured) falls into that category as well. He's not your prototypical shortstop at 6'3", 215 lbs., and his offensive numbers reflect that. In 2011, he hit .302 and slugged 30 home runs en route to 105 RBI.

The newest addition to the heart of Colorado's order is former Twin Michael Cuddyer. Last season, Cuddyer hit .284 with 20 home runs and 70 RBI. He should be able to put up numbers that are just as good in the National League and at Coors Field.

5. Minnesota Twins

Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Josh Willingham

When healthy, Joe Mauer (pictured) and Justin Morneau are two of the best hitters in all of baseball—they have each won an MVP award. Mauer is one of the best pure hitters in MLB today but with his injuries, he has been slowed down a lot recently. In a full season, Morneau is capable of hitting over 25 home runs and driving in over 100 runs.

New to the team is Josh Willingham, formerly of the Oakland Athletics. Last year in Oakland, Willingham put up surprisingly good numbers: a .246 batting average with 98 RBI and 29 home runs.

4. Detroit Tigers

Delmon Young, Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez

Delmon Young has come a long way from his days as a Tampa Bay Devil Ray as he is a key member of one of the best offensive teams in the league; last year when spent the first half of the season with the Twins, he hit .268 with 64 RBI. For the Tigers to make the next step, he'll need to be even better in 2012.

First baseman Miguel Cabrera (pictured) is a perennial MVP candidate and showed it when he hit .344 with 111 runs, 105 RBI and 30 home runs last year. And Victor Martinez should be as good as he always is—a steady switch hitter who batted .330 with 103 RBI in his first season with the Tigers.

3. New York Yankees

Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano

The Yankees have an amazing heart of the order from which any of the three players could win the AL MVP award in any given season.

Mark Teixeira only batted .248 in 2011 so that number should increase in 2012. He also drove in 111 runs, in part thanks to his 39 home runs. In the cleanup spot, third baseman Alex Rodriguez had a down year but should also bounce back in 2012 after hitting .276 with 16 home runs and 62 RBI.

Finally, second baseman Robinson Cano hit .302 with 118 RBI, 104 runs and 28 home runs. Yes, as a second baseman.

2. Boston Red Sox

Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz

Adrian Gonzalez put up great numbers in 2011, hitting .338 with 117 RBI, 108 runs and 27 home runs. Third baseman Kevin Youkilis had a down year last season. He didn't make as much contact as he's used to with his batting average dropping to .258—but he still got 80 RBI. Don't expect that to happen again.

And if David Ortiz (pictured) can get started early like he did in 2011 (.309 batting average with 29 home runs and 96 RBI), he can have another great year.

1. Texas Rangers

Josh Hamilton, Michael Young and Adrian Beltre

The Rangers' stacked batting order played a huge part in their run to a second-straight World Series and it will once again play a key part in their 2012 season.

Last year, a season removed from winning the AL MVP award, Josh Hamilton hit .298 and drove in 94 RBI to go along with his 25 home runs. Michael Young put together another amazing season, batting .338 with 106 RBI.

But the star of the show was third baseman Adrian Beltre (pictured) who hit .296 with 32 home runs and 105 RBI. And don't forget about Nelson Cruz who hit .263 with 29 home runs and 87 RBI.