Ranking the Lineups of Potential 2013 MLB Playoff Teams
It's crunch time for MLB teams still in the running for a playoff spot, and as of writing this, there were still 15 teams who could legitimately call themselves contenders.
Whether it is earning home-field advantage, locking up a division title to avoid playing in the Wild Card Round or simply earning a spot in the playoffs altogether, there is still a lot to be decided between now and October.
The old adage is that pitching wins championships, and while that often rings true, it certainly doesn't hurt to have a high-powered offense to back your pitching staff. With that in mind, here is a look at where all 15 remaining contenders stack up offensively, ranked from 15-1.
How the team's offense has performed all season, their performance this month in particular and the overall makeup and personnel in their lineup were all taken into account when ranking the lineups. For the sake of projected postseason rosters, 14 position players were assumed for each team.
*Note: Team batting stats courtesy of MLB.com.
15. Pittsburgh Pirates
1 of 15| Season | .245 | 23rd | 3.84 | 25th |
| September | .227 | 26th | 3.12 | 28th |
Projected Postseason Starting Lineup
1. LF Starling Marte
2. 2B Neil Walker
3. CF Andrew McCutchen
4. 1B Justin Morneau
5. RF Marlon Byrd
6. 3B Pedro Alvarez
7. C Russell Martin
8. SS Jordy Mercer
9. Pitcher
Projected Postseason Bench
C John Buck
SS Clint Barmes
1B/OF Garrett Jones
IF/OF Josh Harrison
OF Jose Tabata
Lineup Overview
The Pirates have gotten to where they are thanks in large part to their pitching staff, but their lineup has still been improved over last season's group and got better with the August additions of Marlon Byrd and Justin Morneau.
Andrew McCutchen remains the heart and soul of the offense though, and he has been an absolute beast in the second half. Getting Starling Marte back from injury atop the lineup should help things as well, and if they're pitching like they can, they should be able to score enough runs to make some noise in October.
14. Atlanta Braves
2 of 15| Season | .248 | 21st | 4.25 | 13th |
| September | .222 | 28th | 3.41 | 24th |
Projected Postseason Starting Lineup
1. CF Jordan Schafer
2. RF Justin Upton
3. 1B Freddie Freeman
4. LF Evan Gattis
5. C Brian McCann
6. 3B Chris Johnson
7. SS Andrelton Simmons
8. 2B Elliot Johnson
9. Pitcher
Projected Postseason Bench
C Gerald Laird
2B Dan Uggla
OF Reed Johnson
OF B.J. Upton
OF Jason Heyward (currently injured, questionable for start of postseason)
Lineup Overview
The loss of Jason Heyward to a broken jaw has been a blow to the Braves lineup, as they are now without a table-setter atop the lineup. Freddie Freeman has been rock solid all season, and Chris Johnson may yet win the NL batting title, but the rest of the lineup has been prone to inconsistency all season.
It appears high-priced veterans B.J. Upton and Dan Uggla will spend the bulk of the postseason on the bench, as Elliot Johnson and Evan Gattis represent better offensive options at this point. When they're hot, there may not be a better offense in baseball, but when they're not, they strike out a ton and are prone to lengthy slumps.
13. New York Yankees
3 of 15| Season | .245 | 23rd | 4.10 | 15th |
| September | .234 | 23rd | 4.94 | 7th |
Projected Postseason Starting Lineup
1. CF Curtis Granderson
2. DH Alex Rodriguez
3. 2B Robinson Cano
4. LF Alfonso Soriano
5. 1B Lyle Overbay
6. 3B Mark Reynolds
7. RF Ichiro Suzuki
8. SS Eduardo Nunez
9. C Chris Stewart
Projected Postseason Bench
C Austin Romine
IF David Adams
1B/OF Vernon Wells
OF Zoilo Almonte
OF Brett Gardner (currently injured, questionable for start of postseason)
Lineup Overview
The Yankees have been forced to piece together their offensive attack all season due to injuries, and even now they are without leadoff hitter and center fielder Brett Gardner for the time being. Despite that, they've managed to put together some decent run support here of late.
Outside of Robinson Cano, they're still not getting consistent production from anyone in the lineup, and with the way their rotation is throwing the ball, they don't have the offense to carry their team. They replaced the injured Derek Jeter with Brendan Ryan, but he won't be eligible for the postseason roster, so Eduardo Nunez would likely fill that hole.
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12. Tampa Bay Rays
4 of 15| Season | .257 | 12th | 4.26 | 12th |
| September | .236 | 22nd | 3.35 | 25th |
Projected Postseason Starting Lineup
1. LF David DeJesus
2. 2B Ben Zobrist
3. 1B James Loney
4. 3B Evan Longoria
5. DH Matt Joyce
6. RF Wil Myers
7. CF Desmond Jennings
8. C Jose Molina
9. SS Yunel Escobar
Projected Postseason Bench
C Jose Lobaton
IF Sean Rodriguez
IF/OF Kelly Johnson
OF Sam Fuld
OF Luke Scott
Lineup Overview
The additions of James Loney, Yunel Escobar and Kelly Johnson in the offseason and David DeJesus in August has left the Rays offense substantially improved over last season, but they have been struggling of late.
They do a nice job playing the matchups and have some depth to work with, but everything starts with Evan Longoria and Ben Zobrist, and they need to get their two stars going. As for filling out the bench, Delmon Young has a good postseason track record and could edge out Sam Fuld for a roster spot.
11. Texas Rangers
5 of 15| Season | .261 | 9th | 4.44 | 8th |
| September | .246 | 19th | 3.44 | 23rd |
Projected Postseason Starting Lineup
1. 2B Ian Kinsler
2. SS Elvis Andrus
3. RF Alex Rios
4. 3B Adrian Beltre
5. C A.J. Pierzynski
6. DH Nelson Cruz (currently suspended, eligible to return for postseason)
7. 1B Mitch Moreland
8. LF David Murphy
9. CF Leonys Martin
Projected Postseason Bench
C Geovany Soto
1B/DH Lance Berkman
IF/OF Jurickson Profar
IF/OF Jeff Baker
OF Craig Gentry
Lineup Overview
The Rangers have held their own offensively this season despite a bevy of offseason losses and the suspension of Nelson Cruz, but they have been in a free fall the past two weeks, and the offense has been as much to blame for anything.
That said, Cruz will be back for the postseason, and the team still has a terrific one-two punch in Alex Rios and Adrian Beltre. They have no clear-cut hole in the lineup and more depth than they have in year's past, but they need to turn things around quickly if they want to be playing in October.
10. Kansas City Royals
6 of 15| Season | .262 | 7th | 4.06 | 17th |
| September | .280 | 7th | 3.82 | 17th |
Projected Postseason Starting Lineup
1. LF Alex Gordon
2. 2B Emilio Bonifacio
3. 1B Eric Hosmer
4. DH Billy Butler
5. 3B Mike Moustakas
6. C Salvador Perez
7. RF Lorenzo Cain
8. CF Jarrod Dyson
9. SS Alcides Escobar
Projected Postseason Bench
C George Kottaras
IF Chris Getz
IF Jamey Carroll
OF David Lough
OF Justin Maxwell
Lineup Overview
The Royals found themselves six games under .500 at the All-Star break thanks in large part to a struggling offense that ranked 24th in the MLB in scoring. They've righted the ship here in the second half though, and that is a big reason why they've been able to turn things around.
Emilio Bonifacio has been a big addition, and catcher Salvador Perez has really stepped his game up over the past month. The outfield is still a question mark aside from Alex Gordon, but with a pair of solid table setters and a potent trio in the middle of the lineup, they can score their fair share of runs.
9. Cincinnati Reds
7 of 15| Season | .250 | 18th | 4.33 | 11th |
| September | .257 | 12th | 4.00 | 15th |
Projected Postseason 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. CF Zack Cozart
8. C Ryan Hanigan
9. Pitcher
Projected Postseason Bench
C Devin Mesoraco
IF Cesar Izturis
1B/3B Jack Hannahan
OF Chris Heisey
OF Xavier Paul
Lineup Overview
Following their offseason addition of Shin-Soo Choo and with Ryan Ludwick now back from injury, the Reds have no real hole in their offense. Choo has given them the high on-base table setter they needed, while Joey Votto and Jay Bruce remain among the best in the business with a bat in their hands.
Brandon Phillips has not had a great season despite a high RBI total, and Todd Frazier has not had the season that some envisioned after his terrific rookie campaign, but overall the Reds offense is a plus and alongside a deep starting rotation and solid bullpen they have the look of a serious title contender.
8. Cleveland Indians
8 of 15| Season | .252 | 15th | 4.53 | 7th |
| September | .251 | 17th | 4.76 | 8th |
Projected Postseason Starting Lineup
1. CF Michael Bourn
2. 1B Nick Swisher
3. 2B Jason Kipnis
4. DH Carlos Santana
5. LF Michael Brantley
6. SS Asdrubal Cabrera
7. C Yan Gomes
8. 3B Lonnie Chisenhall
9. RF Drew Stubbs
Projected Postseason Bench
C Kelly Shoppach
IF Mike Aviles
OF Ryan Raburn
1B/DH Jason Giambi
OF/DH Jason Kubel
Lineup Overview
The Indians offense has been much improved this season thanks to a handful of offseason additions, and with Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn and Asdrubal Cabrera all heating up right now, they are hitting their stride at the right time.
In a postseason series the team would likely look to work Yan Gomes' bat into the lineup on an everyday basis, while utility man Ryan Raburn could see some starts as well as he continues to hit put up good offensive numbers. Lonnie Chisenhall and Drew Stubbs don't bring much to the table at the bottom of the lineup, but they have the firepower to score some runs for their staff.
7. Washington Nationals
9 of 15| Season | .253 | 13th | 4.09 | 16th |
| September | .284 | 5th | 5.47 | 2nd |
Projected Postseason Starting Lineup
1. CF Denard Span
2. 3B Ryan Zimmerman
3. RF Jayson Werth
4. LF Bryce Harper
5. SS Ian Desmond
6. 1B Adam LaRoche
7. C Wilson Ramos
8. 2B Anthony Rendon
9. Pitcher
Projected Postseason Bench
C Jhonatan Solano
1B/3B Chad Tracy
1B/OF Tyler Moore
IF/OF Steve Lombardozzi
OF Scott Hairston
Lineup Overview
It's hard to figure out where the Nationals should fall in these rankings. On the one hand, they're the hottest team in baseball right now, and their offense has been a big reason for that. On the other hand, however, they struggled mightily at the plate for much of the season and a hot month does not completely quell the regression concerns.
That said, it's hard not to like the way their offense is performing right now. Lead-off man Denard Span is riding a 29-game hitting streak, Ryan Zimmerman has found his power stroke and catcher Wilson Ramos has been an RBI machine over the past month. This is the way they were expected to play from day one, but it may be too little too late.
6. Los Angeles Dodgers
10 of 15| Season | .266 | 5th | 4.06 | 17th |
| September | .264 | 11th | 4.12 | 13th |
Projected Postseason Starting Lineup
1. RF Yasiel Puig
2. LF Andre Ethier
3. SS Hanley Ramirez
4. 1B Adrian Gonzalez
5. CF Matt Kemp
6. 3B Juan Uribe
7. 2B Mark Ellis
8. C A.J. Ellis
9. Pitcher
Projected Postseason Bench
C Tim Federowicz
IF Nick Punto
1B/3B Michael Young
IF/OF Skip Schumaker
OF Carl Crawford
Lineup Overview
The return of Matt Kemp poses an interesting problem for the Dodgers, as they have four star-caliber starting outfielders. With Carl Crawford slumping, he's the likely odd man out, and getting Kemp back and producing like he's capable of could be a major addition for the Dodgers heading into October.
Third baseman Juan Uribe has been one of the biggest surprises of 2013, while the resurgence of Hanley Ramirez and breakthrough of Yasiel Puig gives the Dodgers a dynamic lineup even with average-at-best production from second base and catcher. On days when Zack Greinke (18-for-55) pitches, the team has a legitimate ninth bat in the lineup as well.
5. Baltimore Orioles
11 of 15| Season | .261 | 9th | 4.66 | 4th |
| September | .250 | 18th | 3.88 | 16th |
Projected Postseason Starting Lineup
1. LF Nate McLouth
2. 3B Manny Machado
3. 1B Chris Davis
4. CF Adam Jones
5. RF Nick Markakis
6. SS J.J. Hardy
7. C Matt Wieters
8. DH Danny Valencia
9. 2B Brian Roberts
Projected Postseason Bench
C Steve Clevenger
IF/OF Ryan Flaherty
IF/OF Michael Morse
OF Chris Dickerson
OF Henry Urrutia
Lineup Overview
The Orioles starting rotation has been shaky again this season, but the offense has again carried the load and allowed them to remain in contention. Chris Davis and Adam Jones are legitimate superstars, while Manny Machado remains a tough out even with a second-half slump.
J.J. Hardy and Matt Wieters have good pop despite the low averages they may contribute, and veterans Nick Markakis and Brian Roberts are healthy and producing here down the stretch. The real wild card has been the DH spot, but a recent hot streak from Danny Valencia has helped solve that problem. Now they just need to get Nate McLouth going atop the lineup.
4. Oakland Athletics
12 of 15| Season | .251 | 16th | 4.57 | 6th |
| September | .283 | 6th | 5.29 | 4th |
Projected Postseason 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. 1B Daric Barton
8. DH Seth Smith
9. C Derek Norris
Projected Postseason Bench
C Kurt Suzuki
1B Nate Freiman
IF Eric Sogard
OF Josh Reddick
OF Chris Young
Lineup Overview
No lineup in baseball has more moving parts than the A's, as they have 15 players who have seen at least 100 plate appearances this season, and they have perfected getting the most out of a lineup that is short on star talent.
The trio of Josh Donaldson, Brandon Moss and Yoenis Cespedes has carried the offense of late, and if those three guys stay hot into the postseason, the A's could do some serious damage. Since so many different players contribute, they could have a tough time narrowing down their postseason roster, and Stephen Vogt could easily edge out someone listed above for a bench spot.
3. St. Louis Cardinals
13 of 15| Season | .268 | 3rd | 4.82 | 3rd |
| September | .253 | 15th | 5.06 | 6th |
Projected Postseason Starting Lineup
1. 2B Matt Carpenter
2. CF Jon Jay
3. LF Matt Holliday
4. RF Carlos Beltran
5. C Yadier Molina
6. 1B Matt Adams
7. 3B David Freese
8. 2B Daniel Descalso
9. Pitcher
Projected Postseason Bench
C Tony Cruz
IF Pete Kozma
IF Kolten Wong
OF Shane Robinson
1B/OF Allen Craig (currently injured, questionable for start of postseason)
Lineup Overview
The stat has been brought up all season long, but I'll mention it again here. The Cardinals have hit .329 as a team this season with runners in scoring position, a full 46 points higher than anyone else in baseball, as they have proven time and again they thrive in the clutch.
Perhaps their best clutch hitter, Allen Craig, is currently sidelined with a foot injury and may not be back for the start of the postseason.
They have a terrific replacement for him in Matt Adams, but moving him to the starting lineup takes away a big pinch-hit threat. Matt Carpenter may be the most important component to the offense's success, as he has exceeded even the wildest of expectations out of the leadoff spot this season and is a legitimate MVP candidate.
2. Detroit Tigers
14 of 15| Season | .285 | 1st | 4.99 | 2nd |
| September | .275 | 9th | 3.69 | 20th |
Projected Postseason 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
Projected Postseason Bench
C Brayan Pena
IF Ramon Santiago
SS Jhonny Peralta (suspended, eligible to rejoin team for playoffs)
IF/OF Don Kelly
IF/OF Matt Tuiasosopo
Lineup Overview
Despite getting sub par production from left field and catcher for much of the season and losing All-Star shortstop Jhonny Peralta to a PED suspension, the Tigers offense has ranked among the best in baseball for most of the year.
Catcher Alex Avila has caught fire of late, and the trio of Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder and Victor Martinez is as dangerous as any in baseball.
That said, Cabrera has been slumping and battling injury here in the second half, so getting him back to full strength or close to it is a must for the postseason. Given the starting rotation and deep lineup, this is a team that was built for the postseason.
1. Boston Red Sox
15 of 15| Season | .276 | 2nd | 5.20 | 1st |
| September | .286 | 3rd | 6.38 | 1st |
Projected Postseason Starting Lineup
1. CF Jacoby Ellsbury (currently injured, expected back by postseason)
2. RF Shane Victorino
3. 2B Dustin Pedroia
4. DH David Ortiz
5. 1B Mike Napoli
6. C Jarrod Saltalamacchia
7. 3B Will Middlebrooks
8. SS Stephen Drew
9. LF Jonny Gomes
Projected Postseason Bench
C David Ross
1B/OF Mike Carp
SS/3B Xander Bogaerts
OF Daniel Nava
OF Quintin Berry
Lineup Overview
Top to bottom, there's no lineup in baseball right now that is better than the Red Sox, and that is even with Jacoby Ellsbury sidelined and likely out for the remainder of the regular season. Offseason signings Mike Napoli, Shane Victorino, Stephen Drew and Jonny Gomes have all been great additions, while incumbents Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz are producing once again.
Getting Ellsbury healthy and figuring out how to best utilize dynamic utility man Mike Carp and uber-prospect Xander Bogaerts are their biggest needs at this point, but it's hard to see anyone completely slowing the Boston offense this October as it is simply too deep.
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