Optimal Starting Lineups for MLB Contenders to Surge Down the Stretch

The race for the playoffs continues to get more interesting in Major League Baseball.

On Tuesday, I wrote about the optimal starting rotations the rest of the way for all MLB contenders. Today, it's all about the offenses.

At the conclusion of Tuesday night's games, four teams were within two games of the second AL Wild Card, while the Nationals continue to surge in the NL Wild Card race as three teams battle it out in the NL Central.

So, with 18 days left in the regular season, it's getting down to crunch time for many teams. It's now or never.

And the best way to make it now is by producing at the plate.

So, what lineups should each team be throwing at opponents each game as they make a chase for the playoffs?

Boston Red Sox

Optimal Starting Lineup

1. 2B Dustin Pedroia
2. RF Shane Victorino
3. DH David Ortiz
4. 1B Mike Napoli
5. LF Daniel Nava
6. C Jarrod Saltalamacchia
7. 3B Will Middlebrooks
8. SS Stephen Drew
9. CF Jackie Bradley Jr.

Optimally, the Red Sox would love to have Jacoby Ellsbury in the lineup, but with a compression fracture in his foot, there's no telling how long he will be out.

Still, having Pedroia and Victorino to lead things off is a good combination. You have two guys that can put the ball in play and get on base at a very high rate.

With the Red Sox close to clinching the AL East, look for David Ross to basically switch every other day with Saltalamacchia, with Ryan Lavarnway getting a start or two along the way.

Also, expect Xander Bogaerts to play a huge role in the last few weeks as they try to get him going for the postseason.

In reality, the Red Sox don't really have to stress. They just need to ensure everyone is well rested before the playoffs begin.

Tampa Bay Rays

Optimal Starting Lineup

1. LF David DeJesus
2. RF Wil Myers
3. 2B Ben Zobrist
4. 3B Evan Longoria
5. DH Matt Joyce
6. CF Desmond Jennings
7. 1B James Loney
8. C Jose Molina
9. SS Yunel Escobar

The main thing I would do if I were the Rays would be to put Myers in the No. 2 hole, where he is hitting .350 in his career.

Although it's a small sampling, I think his importance in the No. 2 hole is the same as the Braves having Justin Upton in the No. 2 hole. It will guarantee him a few extra at-bats the rest of the way and could make the difference in late-game situations.

I also like the idea of moving Jennings up to No. 6. He can kick-start the bottom half of the order, giving them a base stealer to play a little small-ball with.

New York Yankees

Optimal Starting Lineup

1. CF Brett Gardner
2. RF Ichiro Suzuki
3. 2B Robinson Cano
4. LF Alfonso Soriano
5. 3B Alex Rodriguez
6. DH Curtis Granderson/Vernon Wells
7. 1B Mark Reynolds
8. SS Brendan Ryan
9. C Chris Stewart

Is there really an optimal lineup for the Yankees at this point in the season?

Derek Jeter was just ruled out for the rest of the year, Mark Teixeira is gone, as is Kevin Youkilis and Travis Hafner.

Still, the Yankees are within one game of the second spot in the AL Wild Card, so something's working right.

Even though Rodriguez has been hitting in the No. 2 spot as of late, I still like the idea of Ichiro being in that spot. Ichiro simply knows how to find a hole and get on base. And if Gardner somehow finds a way to get on base before him, then the Yankees are in business with Cano and Soriano coming up next.

The Yankees are at a point where they have to play the matchups with their starting lineup. That means Wells, Granderson, Reynolds and Lyle Overbay are going to be mixed and matched a lot.

Baltimore Orioles

Optimal Starting Lineup

1. 2B Brian Roberts
2. 3B Manny Machado
3. 1B Chris Davis
4. CF Adam Jones
5. LF Nate McClouth
6. C Matt Wieters
7. RF Nick Markakis
8. SS J.J. Hardy
9. DH Michael Morse

With the acquisition of Morse, the Orioles are able to put a lot of power into their lineup.

Roberts has been hitting well at the top of the order, and Machado is one of the best No. 2 hitters in the game.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Orioles throw Jonathan Schoop into the mix a little at second base so as not to overwork Roberts, but also expect Ryan Flaherty and Danny Valencia get a start or two each week.

The Orioles have the lineup. They just have to put the runs on the board and win games. The pitching is surprisingly holding its own, but the offense has some work to do.

Detroit Tigers

Optimal Starting Lineup

1. CF Austin Jackson
2. RF Torii Hunter
3. 3B Miguel Cabrera
4. 1B Prince Fielder
5. DH Victor Martinez
6. LF Andy Dirks
7. 2B Omar Infante
8. C Alex Avila
9. SS Jose Iglesias

I understand everyone wanting Cabrera to go for a second straight Triple Crown. But he's six home runs behind Chris Davis and is battling an abdominal strain.

If I were Jim Leyland, I wouldn't play him until he is 100 percent. Who cares about the Triple Crown? He's already achieved it once. This year, it's about winning the World Series.

And if Cabrera is continuing to have the same issues, the Tigers won't make it out of the American League Division Series, much less make it to the World Series.

Outside of that, Leyland has some nice bench pieces in Nick Castellanos and Matt Tuiasosopo he can work into the outfield rotation.

But the bottom line is, Cabrera has to rest, no matter how much he wants another Triple Crown.

Cleveland Indians

Optimal Starting Lineup

1. CF Michael Bourn
2. 1B Nick Swisher
3. 2B Jason Kipinis
4. C Carlos Santana
5. LF Michael Brantley
6. SS Asdrubal Cabrera
7. DH Jason Kubel
8. 3B Lonnie Chisenhall
9. RF Drew Stubbs

I can't help but shake my head at the Indians. Here the Rays are losing games for them, but they can't dispatch the Royals.

The Indians beat the Royals in nine of their first 15 meetings but have lost the last two, also losing their edge over the Royals. And in the recent three-game series, the Indians were only able to average three runs per contest, while the previous 14 saw them score almost six runs per contest.

Part of the problem is the bottom four in the order, who are averaging a total of three hits per game over the last week. While guys like Chisenhall have had three-hit games, others slotted in those spots are not doing so well.

Kansas City Royals

Optimal Starting Lineup

1. LF Alex Gordon
2. 2B Emilio Bonifacio
3. 1B Eric Hosmer
4. Billy Butler
5. 3B Mike Moustakas
6. C Salvador Perez
7. RF David Lough
8. SS Alcides Escobar
9. CF Jarrod Dyson

I say this again, how are the Royals still in the playoff race?

The Royals are currently the hottest team in the wild-card chase, having won seven of their last 10 games.

The one question mark I do have is in the depth of their bench. Justin Maxwell and Carlos Pena are the only big boppers coming off the bench, which is a little concerning.

However, they're playing great team baseball, which is why they're winning more.

Don't be surprised to see the Royals slip into the playoffs if they keep playing the way they are.

Oakland Athletics

Optimal Starting Lineup

1. CF Coco Crisp
2. 3B Josh Donaldson
3. SS Jed Lowrie
4. RF Brandon Moss
5. LF Yoenis Cespedes
6. 2B Alberto Callaspo
7. DH Seth Smith
8. 1B Daric Barton
9. C Kurt Suzuki

There are no big names on the roster, yet the Athletics are getting the job done in the push for the playoffs.

The only real way to explain their success is "Moneyball." There's no other way to put it than say that it does work...at least in the regular season.

Although the move will go largely unnoticed, the biggest move the A's made was in re-acquiring Suzuki. He not only brings a lot to the lineup, but he'll bring a lot to the pitching staff.

The way things are going, look for this team to be in the ALCS at the very least.

Texas Rangers

Optimal Starting Lineup

1. 2B Ian Kinsler
2. SS Elvis Andrus
3. RF Alex Rios
4. 3B Adrian Beltre
5. C A.J. Pierzynski
6. 1B Mitch Moreland
7. DH Lance Berkman
8. LF David Murphy
9. CF Leonys Martin

If the Rangers can make the playoffs, at least they would likely get Nelson Cruz back in the lineup...at least if his teammates will accept him back after his suspension.

The Rangers have struggled as of late, but they lead the wild-card race and still have a 3.5-game lead over the Yankees, who are on the outside looking in.

They've lost eight of their last 10 games and it doesn't get any easier with Oakland coming to town over the weekend. If the Rangers aren't careful, they'll definitely be out of the division race while fighting for their lives in the wild card.

Optimally, Cruz would be a big boost in the middle of the lineup, but this will have to do for now.

Making matters even worse is that the bench seems to be weak as well, with Jurickson Profar being the only big name there.

Atlanta Braves

Optimal Starting Lineup

1. LF Jordan Schafer
2. RF Justin Upton
3. 1B Freddie Freeman
4. 3B Chris Johnson
5. C Brian McCann
6. 2B Dan Uggla
7. CF B.J. Upton
8. SS Andrelton Simmons

Ideally, Jason Heyward wouldn't have broken his jaw and he would be leading off for the Braves, where he was hitting .341 this year.

But that isn't the case and now the Braves have a huge shuffle to deal with as the never-ending sagas of B.J. Upton and Uggla continue.

At least with B.J. Upton, the Braves have Reed Johnson and Evan Gattis on the bench, so they can move Schafer to center field if they need to.

As far as Uggla, the Braves can use Elliot Johnson to slow the bleeding a little.

Regardless, the Braves will likely clinch the NL East soon, and it's all about getting work in for everyone. Hopefully by the time the playoffs roll around, Heyward will be ready to reassume the leadoff spot.

Washington Nationals

Optimal Starting Lineup

1. CF Denard Span
2. 3B Ryan Zimmerman
3. LF Bryce Harper
4. RF Jason Werth
5. SS Ian Desmond
6. 1B Adam LaRoche
7. C Wilson Ramos
8. 2B Anthony Rendon

I'll admit, just two days ago, I didn't think the Nationals were going to continue making their run. But here they are only six games out in the NL Wild Card.

It took almost a full season and a change at second base, but things are going right for the Nationals as they try to win one of two wild cards.

At the plate, the key has been that it's not just one guy. The wealth is being spread around. If one guy is off one night, the others are there to pick him up and get on base.

Time is ticking down for them, but as long as they keep winning, the Pirates, Reds and Cardinals will all be nervous.

With the way their pitching is set up, I wouldn't want to face them in a one-game playoff or the playoffs at all. They're a very dangerous team.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Optimal Starting Lineup

1. 2B Neil Walker
2. LF Starling Marte
3. CF Andrew McCutchen 
4. 3B Pedro Alvarez
5. RF Marlon Byrd
6. 1B Justin Morneau
7. C Russell Martin
8. SS Jordy Mercer

The Pirates were the most active team at the trading deadline and have really improved their roster.

To know they're having their first winning season since 1992 is a fantastic sight as a baseball fan. It's good to see things going good in Pittsburgh once again.

Optimally, the lineup listed is what the Pirates need to continue to throw out there. I understand there may be a want to use Morneau only against righties and put Gaby Sanchez in against lefties, but bottom line is that Morneau is more prone to get that big hit.

Having Byrd in the lineup is critical as well. His value is understated, and he may be that key piece that helps the Pirates go far in the playoffs.

St. Louis Cardinals

Optimal Starting Lineup

1. 2B Matt Carpenter
2. RF Carlos Beltran
3. LF Matt Holliday
4. 1B Matt Adams
5. C Yadier Molina
6. 3B David Freese
7. CF Jon Jay
8. SS Pete Kozma

The only reason Adams is in there right now is because Allen Craig is out with a sprained foot. But once he returns, he'll slot into the cleanup spot.

When you look through the Cardinals lineup, you see barely any weaknesses, except maybe in the No. 8 spot. However, with a good bench to back them up, the Cardinals just might have the strongest collection of offense (starters and bench players) of all contenders.

As they continue to fight for a playoff spot, there will still be a delicate balancing act when it comes to giving rest to the starters. But for now, this should be the lineup St. Louis runs out there every day, with the exception of Daniel Descalso getting some starts for Kozma.

Cincinnati Reds

Optimal Starting Lineup

1. CF Shin-Soo Choo
2. 2B Brandon Phillips
3. 1B Joey Votto
4. RF Jay Bruce
5. LF Ryan Ludwick
6. 3B Todd Frazier
7. SS Zack Cozart
8. C Ryan Hanigan

Before I even get to the starting lineup, I think the Reds have the most dangerous weapon in all of baseball on their bench. That weapon is Billy Hamilton, who will change the outcome late in many games.

His speed brings a different dynamic to the the latter portions of the game and is something teams are going to have to prepare for.

Back to the starting lineup...this is an even more dangerous lineup with Ludwick back in the mix. There's power and speed throughout, and it doesn't hurt that Phillips is in the midst of the best season of his career.

As long as the Reds can keep things within a run or two, they'll be fine at the end of games. Hamilton is the key to their playoff run.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Optimal Starting Lineup

1. LF Carl Crawford
2. RF Yasiel Puig
3. 1B Adrian Gonzalez
4. SS Hanley Ramirez
5. CF Andre Ethier
6. 3B Juan Uribe
7. C A.J. Ellis
8. 2B Mark Ellis

I'm sure some cynical baseball fans would jokingly put Puig in all eight positions, as they think Dodgers fans believe he was their saving grace for this season.

However, the lineup has gotten boosts from a lot more than Puig.

The biggest key is Ramirez, who has been on fire since returning from injury. But because of his previous injury history, the Dodgers need to be careful with him the rest of the way.

It's important to have him healthy in the playoffs...more important than running him out there a few extra games just to try and get home-field advantage.