Prince Fielder Signs with Tigers: Power Ranking All 30 MLB Lineups

With the announcement coming yesterday that Prince Fielder has signed with the Detroit Tigers on a nine-year, $214 million contract, it raises the question where the Tigers lineup now ranks among the best in baseball.

The team boasts what most would consider the best one-two punch in the game now with Fielder and Miguel Cabrera, and also has some talented young second-tier players in Delmon Young, Austin Jackson, Alex Avila and Brennan Boesch.

Is the Fielder signing enough to vault the Tigers into the upper echelon of the baseball offenses? Here is a look at my ranking from No. 30 to No. 1 of every MLB team's lineup.

No. 30: Houston Astros

CF Jordan Schafer
2B Jose Altuve
LF J.D. Martinez
1B Carlos Lee
RF Brian Bogusevic
SS Jed Lowrie
3B Jimmy Paredes
C Chris Snyder
Starting Pitcher

The Astros have completely torn down their lineup from a couple seasons ago, dealing Michael Bourn and Hunter Pence last season, and Carlos Lee is all that remains.

It's going to be a long 2012 for the Astros, but they do have some nice pieces moving forward as 24-year-old J.D. Martinez seems to have a bright future, and Jose Altuve held his own in the majors last year at 21.

Still, this is a team that will struggle mightily to score runs in 2012.
 

No. 29: Oakland Athletics

2B Jemile Weeks
CF Coco Crisp
RF Josh Reddick
LF Seth Smith
DH Brandon Allen
C Kurt Suzuki
1B Daric Barton
3B Scott Sizemore
SS Cliff Pennington

After letting Josh Willingham and David DeJesus walk in free agency, the Athletics acquired Josh Reddick and Seth Smith, and while that makes the team better moving forward, it may mean a step back in 2012 for a team that was already subpar in that department.

The continued progress of Jemile Weeks will be fun to watch, and the Athletics have some impressive young players on the cusp of major league contribution.

However, the 2012 lineup does not look great for Billy Beane and the Athletics.

No. 28: Seattle Mariners

RF Ichiro Suzuki
CF Franklin Gutierrez
2B Dustin Ackley
LF Mike Carp
DH Jesus Montero
1B Justin Smoak
C Miguel Olivo
3B Kyle Seager
SS Brendan Ryan 

The Mariners offense is in a transitional phase, as young players begin to take the reigns on starting jobs. That will mean some growing pains, but there's a talented young core that could be a force in a few seasons.

Trading with the Yankees for Jesus Montero at the very least gives fans something to be excited about in 2012, as he's a future All-Star and a front-runner for AL Rookie of the Year.

He, along with Justin Smoak and Dustin Ackley, give the team a powerful trio under 25.

No. 27: Chicago Cubs

RF David DeJesus
SS Starlin Castro
CF Marlon Byrd
1B Bryan LaHair
LF Alfonso Soriano
C Geovany Soto
3B Ian Stewart
2B Darwin Barney
Starting Pitcher

The Cubs have already taken the first steps towards a major overhaul, trading for a new third baseman in Ian Stewart, signing right fielder David DeJesus to a one-year deal to lead off and acquiring a future first baseman and cleanup hitter in Anthony Rizzo.

For now, however, the lineup is average at best as Triple-A star Bryan LaHair will be counted on to be the team's top run producer.

Continued progress by Starlin Castro will be a bright spot, but it could be a long season for the Cubs.

No. 26: New York Mets

CF Andres Torres
2B Daniel Murphy
3B David Wright
1B Ike Davis
RF Lucas Duda
LF Jason Bay
C Josh Thole
SS Ruben Tejada 
Starting Pitcher 

The Mets were unable to re-sign Jose Reyes this offseason and dealt Carlos Beltran to the Giants at the deadline last year, leaving their offense with significantly less experienced punch.

However, Ike Davis is back after missing all but 36 games last season. He hit .302 BA, 7 HR, 25 RBI in those 36 games and is among the most promising young hitters in the game.

Right fielder Lucas Duda and catcher Josh Thole also have big upside, and if nothing else, the Mets still have David Wright, who should be in line for a bounceback year.

No. 25: San Francisco Giants

RF Melky Cabrera
2B Freddy Sanchez
3B Pablo Sandoval
C Buster Posey
LF Aubrey Huff
CF Angel Pagan
1B Brandon Belt
SS Brandon Crawford
Starting Pitcher 

The Giants have a fantastic pitching staff which helped them to a World Series title in 2010 despite their offense, and that offense has continued to be an issue.

The team acquired Melky Cabrera from the Royals and dealt Andres Torres to the Mets for Angel Pagan which should help shore up their outfield.

Getting Buster Posey back from injury will help a ton, but the team still has no real shortstop and will be counting on an aging Aubrey Huff and inexperienced Brandon Belt at key positions.

No. 24: Pittsburgh Pirates

RF Jose Tabata
LF Alex Presley
CF Andrew McCutchen
2B Neil Walker
1B Garrett Jones
3B Pedro Alvarez 
SS Clint Barmes
C Rod Barajas
Starting Pitcher 

There may have been no bigger surprise in all of baseball than the Pirates last season, and they added to their young core by signing solid veterans in shortstop Clint Barmes and catcher Rod Barajas to shore up two of their biggest problem areas from last season.

If Pedro Alvarez can regain his 2010 rookie year form and move into the cleanup role as the team expected last season, and with those two signings, the Pirates could be even better in 2012 offensively.

No. 23: San Diego Padres

RF Wil Venable
3B Chase Headley
CF Cameron Maybin
LF Carlos Quentin
1B Yonder Alonso
C Nick Hundley
2B Orlando Hudson
SS Jason Bartlett
Starting Pitcher 

After a surprise run at the NL West division title in 2010, the Padres took a big step back going 71-91 and hitting just .237 as a team.

However, they dealt for Carlos Quentin and pulled off a big trade to acquire four players from the Reds including Yonder Alonso.

Those two, along with the continued solid play of guys like Nick Hundley and Chase Headley, as well as the chance that Cameron Maybin takes the next step towards stardom could mean the Padres take a step forward after their disappointing 2011 season.

No. 22: Chicago White Sox

LF Alejandro De Aza
SS Alexi Ramirez
1B Paul Konerko
DH Adam Dunn
3B Brent Morel
C A.J. Pierzynski
RF Dayan Viciedo
CF Alex Rios
2B Gordon Beckham

Trading right fielder Carlos Quentin to the Padres was a blow for the White Sox offensively, but it does open up a starting gig for 23-year-old Cuban Dayan Viciedo who has big-time potential.

Juan Pierre is also gone, but Alejandro De Aza will take his place and is a similar player.

In the end, the White Sox offensive success weighs heavily on whether or not Adam Dunn (.159 BA), Alex Rios (.227 BA) and Gordon Beckham (.230 BA) can bounce back from horrific seasons and provide something positive with the bat, and if they can, this lineup would rank much higher on this list.

No. 21: Minnesota Twins

CF Denard Span
SS Jamey Carroll
C Joe Mauer
1B Justin Morneau
RF Josh Willingham
DH Ryan Doumit
3B Danny Valencia
LF Ben Revere 
2B Alexi Casilla

The Twins lost outfielders Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel in free agency this winter, dealing a blow both on the field and in the clubhouse. However, the team did sign Josh Willingham, Jamey Carroll and Ryan Doumit to help offset the losses.

In the end, the biggest factor in Minnesota is the healthy of Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, and if they can stay in the lineup all season, the offense will be an asset.

No. 20: Baltimore Orioles

2B Brian Roberts
SS J.J. Hardy
RF Nick Markakis
CF Adam Jones
C Matt Wieters
3B Mark Reynolds
DH Wilson Betemit
1B Chris Davis
LF Nolan Reimold

The Orioles could be forced to deal with both Brian Roberts and Nick Markakis not being at full speed to open the season, but once they're back, the lineup should be solid.

Signing Wilson Betemit to DH and spend some time at third base gives the team some added depth.

Whether or not the team decides to move Adam Jones will greatly affect the potency of the lineup. Catcher Matt Wieters took a step forward last season and should continue to emerge as a star on offense.

No. 19: Cleveland Indians

CF Grady Sizemore
2B Jason Kipnis
SS Asdrubal Cabrera
1B Carlos Santana
DH Travis Hafner
RF Shin-Soo Choo
3B Lonnie Chisenhall
C Lou Marson
LF Michael Brantley

The Indians took a chance on bringing back Grady Sizemore on an incentive-laden contract, and he will open the season as the leadoff hitter. Aside from that, the team did little to improve the offense.

Getting Shin-Soo Choo back from injury helps, and rookie Lonnie Chisenhall is a better option than anything they trotted out at third base last season.

It will be interesting to watch the continued development of Carlos Santana, and to see if Asdrubal Cabrera's breakout season was a fluke. 

No. 18: Tampa Bay Rays

LF Desmond Jennings
CF B.J. Upton
3B Evan Longoria
1B Carlos Pena
2B Ben Zobrist
RF Matt Joyce
DH Luke Scott
SS Sean Rodriguez
C Jose Molina 

Despite the fact that the offense took a step back in 2011 with the losses of Carlos Pena and Carl Crawford, the team still managed to make the postseason. However, now the team has Pena back, and Desmond Jennings looks ready to fill the shoes of Crawford.

While their starting shortstop and catcher candidates are among the weakest in all of baseball, the rest of the offense is solid.

B.J. Upton could still be traded at some point to help upgrade the shortstop position, but for now, the offense still looks better than it did in 2011.

No. 17: Milwaukee Brewers

CF Nyjer Morgan
2B Rickie Weeks
LF Ryan Braun
3B Aramis Ramirez
RF Corey Hart
1B Mat Gamel
C Jonathan Lucroy
SS Alex Gonzalez
Starting Pitcher

The Brewers were dealt a big blow in losing Prince Fielder, and depending on whether or not Ryan Braun is able to successfully appeal his suspension, they could be without their another slugger for 50 games as well. 

The team did sign Aramis Ramirez to replace some of Fielder's production, and Alex Gonzalez marks a slight upgrade over Yuniesky Betancourt.

Mat Gamel is the wild card here, as he hit .310 BA and 28 HR in Triple-A last season.

No. 16: Philadelphia Phillies

SS Jimmy Rollins
CF Shane Victorino
2B Chase Utley
RF Hunter Pence
1B Jim Thome
LF Laynce Nix
3B Placido Polanco
C Carlos Ruiz
Starting Pitcher 

The Phillies were dealt a blow when Ryan Howard ruptured his Achilles' tendon in the playoffs, and it will be a duo of Ty Wigginton and Jim Thome holding down the fort until he returns.

The offense is another year older, and while Hunter Pence is in his prime, guys like Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Placido Polanco are not the players they once were.

Left field is also a question mark, as John Mayberry and Domonic Brown could push Laynce Nix for playing time.

No. 15: Los Angeles Dodgers

SS Dee Gordon
2B Mark Ellis
CF Matt Kemp
RF Andre Ethier
1B James Loney
LF Jerry Sands
3B Juan Uribe
C A.J. Ellis
Starting Pitcher

Locking up Matt Kemp long-term was a big move for the Dodgers, and they added a lot of small pieces in signing Mark Ellis, Jerry Hairston and Adam Kennedy, but the lineup still has some weak spots.

Juan Uribe hit just .204 last season as the starting third baseman, and catcher A.J. Ellis and left fielder Jerry Sands lack success at the big-league level.

It will be interesting to see what the team does with free-agent-to-be Andre Ethier. 

No. 14: Kansas City Royals

LF Alex Gordon
2B Johnny Giavotella
1B Eric Hosmer
DH Billy Butler
3B Mike Moustakas
RF Jeff Francoeur
C Salvador Perez
CF Lorenzo Cain
SS Alcides Escobar

The reinforcements have officially arrived in Kansas City, as they are finally beginning to reap the benefits of perhaps the best farm system in baseball. Eric Hosmer is a future star and could go .300 BA, 30 HR, 100 RBI in 2012.

If the Zack Greinke trade pickups Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar can lock down their positions and Mike Moustakas can take the next step towards adjusting to big-league pitching, the Royals lineup could be among the deepest and most talented 1-9 in all of baseball. 

No. 13: Washington Nationals

SS Ian Desmond
RF Jayson Werth
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adam LaRoche
LF Michael Morse
2B Danny Espinosa
C Wilson Ramos
CF Roger Bernadina 
Starting Pitcher 

With the emergence of young players like Wilson Ramos, Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa last season, the Nationals have one of the more complete lineups in baseball.

Getting Adam LaRoche back from injury is a nice addition, and if Jayson Werth can bounce back from a bad 2011 and Michael Morse can repeat his impressive breakout season, the Nationals will be in great shape offensively in 2012.

No. 12: Miami Marlins

SS Jose Reyes
CF Emilio Bonifacio
3B Hanley Ramirez
RF Mike Stanton
1B Gaby Sanchez
LF Logan Morrison
C John Buck
2B Omar Infante
Starting Pitcher

Adding Jose Reyes to a lineup that already featured up-and-coming stars in Mike Stanton, Gaby Sanchez and Logan Morrison should be enough to put the Marlins around the .500 mark this coming season.

If the team can add Cuban Yoennis Cespedes, who they have been rumored to be pursuing hard, their lineup would be pushed up a tier, but for now, they have a good core of young sluggers and should be an improved group from 2011.

No. 11: Cincinnati Reds

2B Brandon Phillips
SS Zack Cozart
1B Joey Votto
RF Jay Bruce
3B Scott Rolen
LF Ryan Ludwick
CF Drew Stubbs
C Ryan Hanigan
Starting Pitcher 

The Reds have had a busy offseason, and they gave up a ton to improve their starting rotation in adding Mat Latos. The lineup, however, remains largely intact and may in fact be better than last season with Zack Cosart and Ryan Ludwick replacing Edgar Renteria and Jonny Gomes.

How quickly rookie catcher Devin Mesoraco takes the starting job from Ryan Hanigan will be interesting to watch, and the Reds have enough offense to deal with growing pains from guys like him and Cosart.

Moving Drew Stubbs down in the lineup should help the lineup too, as he strikes out a ton but also has plenty of power. 

No. 10: Toronto Blue Jays

SS Yunel Escobar
CF Colby Rasmus
RF Jose Bautista
1B Adam Lind
DH Edwin Encarnacion
3B Brett Lawrie
LF Eric Thames
C J.P. Arencibia
2B Kelly Johnson  

The Blue Jays didn't do much this offseason, bringing back Kelly Johnson who was acquired at the deadline and acquiring Ben Francisco and Omar Vizquel to fill out the bench.

However, getting full seasons from Colby Rasmus and Brett Lawrie should mean a big boost in production, and they will once again have one of the most dangerous sluggers in all of baseball Jose Bautista anchoring the middle of the order.

No. 9: Atlanta Braves

CF Michael Bourn
LF Martin Prado
3B Chipper Jones
2B Dan Uggla
C Brian McCann
1B Freddie Freeman
RF Jason Heyward
SS Tyler Pastornicky
Starting Pitcher 

The Braves were led by their impressive pitching last season, especially in the bullpen, but their offense is no slouch either.

Losing Alex Gonzalez in free agency and replacing him with rookie Tyler Pastornicky could mean a step back in production at the position in 2012 but should make the lineup better in the long run.

The team could certainly use a bounce-back season from Jason Heyward, who saw his average plummet to .227 last season. A full season from Michael Bourn leading off and a similar season from young first baseman Freddie Freeman could mean a playoff appearance for the Braves.

No. 8: Los Angeles Angels

SS Erick Ayar
DH Bobby Abreu
1B Albert Pujols
RF Torii Hunter
2B Howie Kendrick
3B Alberto Callaspo
LF Vernon Wells
C Chris Iannetta
CF Peter Bourjos

Signing Albert Pujols makes any lineup significantly better, but there are still far too many overpaid, underperforming hitters in the Angels lineup.

The Angels' Opening Day lineup and the lineup they will likely run out in the second half of the season could be two very different things, as Mike Trout could wind up as the everyday center fielder in the second half.

There's also a chance of Mark Trumbo moving to left field, Kendrys Morales at DH and Bobby Abreu traded. That lineup would rank much higher that their current projected lineup.

No. 7: Colorado Rockies

CF Dexter Fowler
2B Marco Scutaro
LF Carlos Gonzalez
SS Troy Tulowitzki
1B Todd Helton
RF Michael Cuddyer
C Ramon Hernandez
3B Casey Blake
Starting Pitcher 

The Rockies lineup has undergone a major overhaul this season and gone are catcher Chris Iannetta (Trade: Angels), 2B Mark Ellis (FA), 3B Ian Stewart (Trade:Cubs) and RF Seth Smith (Trade: Athletics).

The team has signed three veteran free agents and traded for one to replace them, and as a result, the lineup looks stronger than ever and built to win now.

Troy Tulowitzki is the most productive shortstop in the game, and Carlos Gonzalez is an emerging superstar.

No. 6: Arizona Diamondbacks

SS Stephen Drew
2B Aaron Hill
RF Justin Upton
C Miguel Montero
CF Chris Young
LF Jason Kubel
1B Paul Goldschmidt
3B Ryan Roberts
Starting Pitcher

The Diamondbacks were a pleasant surprise last season in winning the NL West, and they have a strong core of young players who should only improve moving forward.

Getting back a healthy Stephen Drew at shortstop, signing Jason Kubel to play left field over Gerardo Parra and a full season out of Paul Goldschmidt at first base should make this lineup even better than the 2011 version.

They rank so high more because they are above-average 1-8 than because of star power, but this is not about who has the best 3-4-5 hitters, but the best lineup, and the Diamondbacks have a very complete lineup.

No. 5: Detroit Tigers

CF Austin Jackson
C Alex Avila
3B Miguel Cabrera
1B Prince Fielder
LF Delmon Young
RF Brennan Boesch
SS Jhonny Peralta
DH Ryan Raburn
2B Ramon Santiago 

Obviously, signing Prince Fielder was a huge move for the Tigers, who needed an offensive boost after losing DH Victor Martinez for the season. Pairing him with Miguel Cabrera gives the team the best one-two punch in all of baseball.

That said, there are still holes in this lineup, as Austin Jackson strikes out too much to be a leadoff hitter and Ryan Raburn and Ramon Santiago are fringe starters at best.

Signing someone like Johnny Damon to DH and hitting at the top of the lineup remains an option, but for now, the lineup still needs some work.

No. 4: St. Louis Cardinals

SS Rafael Furcal
RF Carlos Beltran
LF Matt Holliday
1B Lance Berkman
3B David Freese
CF John Jay
C Yadier Molina
2B Daniel Descalso
Starting Pitcher 

Not many teams could handle the loss of a player like Albert Pujols, but the Cardinals lineup is still very strong and the addition of Carlos Beltran will at the very least offset some of the production they lose in Pujols departing.

If David Freese can stay healthy for a full season, he's capable of a 100 RBI season, and once Allen Craig returns from knee surgery, he's capable of big-time production as well.

Re-signing Rafael Furcal gives the team a steady option at shortstop for a full season, and all in all, there's no reason to think the Cardinals aren't capable of returning to the World Series.

No. 3: Boston Red Sox

CF Jacoby Ellsbury
2B Dustin Pedroia
1B Adrian Gonzalez
DH David Ortiz
3B Kevin Youkilis
LF Carl Crawford
RF Cody Ross
C Jarrod Saltalamacchia
SS Nick Punto

Trading Marco Scutaro to the Rockies and plugging in Nick Punto as the starting shortstop is a step back offensively and dealing Josh Reddick to the Athletics in the Andrew Bailey trade is a blow to the present and future, but the offense should still be fine.

The first three hitters in the lineup are among the most productive league-wide at their positions, and they will carry the offense.

A bounce-back season from Carl Crawford could be a huge boost as well, although he could miss time early following minor wrist surgery.

No. 2: New York Yankees

SS Derek Jeter
CF Curtis Granderson
2B Robinson Cano
1B Mark Teixeira
3B Alex Rodriguez
RF Nick Swisher
DH Andruw Jones
C Russell Martin
LF Brett Gardner

The Yankees will roll out the same lineup that they opened the 2011 season with, minus Jorge Posada at DH, and that lineup should be more than enough to back an improved starting rotation into the postseason.

Alex Rodriguez is poised for a bounce-back season after undergoing an experimental treatment, and the trio of Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano should once again carry the team's high-scoring offense.

No. 1: Texas Rangers

2B Ian Kinsler
SS Elvis Andrus
CF Josh Hamilton
DH Michael Young
3B Adrian Beltre
RF Nelson Cruz
C Mike Napoli
LF David Murphy
1B Mitch Moreland 

While the Prince Fielder rumors proved to be untrue, the Rangers lineup is still the deepest 1-7 in all of baseball, evidenced by the fact that seventh hitter Mike Napoli was the team's most productive run producer in the playoffs and would likely hit fourth for many teams.

Josh Hamilton is entering a contract year and could be in line for a big season, and while Mitch Moreland remains a below-average option at first base, it's hard to argue that the Rangers have the best lineup in baseball once again entering the 2012 season.