Every MLB Franchise's All-Quarter Century Lineup
Welcome to the final installment of Bleacher Report's series highlighting the best and brightest for every MLB franchise at each position over the last 25 years!
Over the past several weeks, we have been naming each team's best player at each position on the field over the past 25 years.
Now it's time to bring all of those picks together to form each franchise's All-Quarter Century lineup, with a designated hitter added to the mix to provide one final decision on the best player who was excluded from the initial position-by-position selections.
Offense, defense, individual accolades, and postseason success were all factors in determining who made the cut. In a tight race, peak production was valued over a larger, less impressive body of work.
Catch up on the Greatest of the Last 25 Years series: Catchers, First Basemen, Second Basemen, Shortstop, Third Basemen, Outfielders
Arizona Diamondbacks
1 of 30
Starting Lineup
CF AJ Pollock
2B Ketel Marte
1B Paul Goldschmidt
LF Luis Gonzalez
RF Justin Upton
DH Christian Walker
C Miguel Montero
3B Mark Reynolds
SS Stephen Drew
One-Sentence Take: This is one of the weaker left sides of the infield of any team in this exercise, but there's a lot to like about that Marte-Goldschmidt-Gonzalez trio anchoring the middle of the lineup.
Athletics
2 of 30
Starting Lineup
CF Coco Crisp
SS Miguel Tejada
DH Jason Giambi
1B Matt Olson
LF Khris Davis
3B Eric Chavez
C Sean Murphy
RF Josh Reddick
2B Mark Ellis
One-Sentence Take: The Athletics talent was not well distributed, with a ton of depth at third base (Chavez, Matt Chapman, Josh Donaldson) and shortstop (Tejada, Marcus Semien), but one of the weaker outfields.
Atlanta Braves
3 of 30
Starting Lineup
LF Ronald Acuña Jr.
3B Chipper Jones
1B Freddie Freeman
CF Andruw Jones
DH Austin Riley
C Brian McCann
2B Ozzie Albies
RF Jason Heyward
SS Rafael Furcal
One-Sentence Take: Every single player in that stacked starting lineup was homegrown, and that speaks volumes to the Braves ability to recognize and develop impact talent over the past 25 years.
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Baltimore Orioles
4 of 30
Starting Lineup
2B Brian Roberts
RF Nick Markakis
3B Manny Machado
1B Chris Davis
SS Miguel Tejada
CF Adam Jones
C Adley Rutschman
DH Melvin Mora
LF Cedric Mullins
One-Sentence Take: Chris Davis, Manny Machado, Nick Markakis, Brian Roberts and Miguel Tejada all had at least one 7-WAR season as a member of the Orioles, so this lineup is better than it might look at first glance.
Boston Red Sox
5 of 30
Starting Lineup
RF Mookie Betts
2B Dustin Pedroia
LF Manny Ramírez
DH David Ortiz
SS Nomar Garciaparra
3B Rafael Devers
1B Kevin Youkilis
C Jason Varitek
CF Johnny Damon
One-Sentence Take: There are a lot of loaded lineups with every team pulling from 25 years worth of history, but this one stacks up to any of them, especially with Mookie Betts and Rafael Devers joining the high-powered duo of Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz.
Chicago Cubs
6 of 30
Starting Lineup
2B Ben Zobrist
3B Kris Bryant
1B Anthony Rizzo
RF Sammy Sosa
DH Derrek Lee
CF Alfonso Soriano
C Willson Contreras
LF Ian Happ
SS Javier Báez
One-Sentence Take: It was extremely difficult to decide between Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramírez for the DH spot, and there is a case to be made that they should have been the picks to start at the corner infield spots, but it's impossible to ignore the stars of the 2016 team.
Chicago White Sox
7 of 30
Starting Lineup
SS Tim Anderson
CF Magglio Ordóñez
DH José Abreu
1B Paul Konerko
RF Jermaine Dye
LF Carlos Lee
3B Joe Crede
2B Ray Durham
C A.J. Pierzynski
One-Sentence Take: This team might hit 300 home runs in a season, even with a weak bottom of the order relative to many of the other lineups, and there are also multiple potential .300 hitters.
Cincinnati Reds
8 of 30
Starting Lineup
2B Brandon Phillips
1B Joey Votto
CF Ken Griffey Jr.
LF Adam Dunn
3B Todd Frazier
RF Jay Bruce
DH Eugenio Suárez
SS Zack Cozart
C Tucker Barnhart
One-Sentence Take: The last time the Reds won the NL Central division title back in 2012, they had Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce, Zack Cozart and Todd Frazier all in the same starting lineup.
Cleveland Guardians
9 of 30
Starting Lineup
CF Grady Sizemore
LF Michael Brantley
3B José Ramírez
DH Travis Hafner
SS Francisco Lindor
C Victor Martínez
1B Carlos Santana
RF Shin-Soo Choo
2B Jason Kipnis
One-Sentence Take: Blending the mid-2000s trio of Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner and Victor Martínez with more recent stars José Ramírez and Francisco Lindor makes this a lineup that would rival those vaunted 1990s Cleveland teams.
Colorado Rockies
10 of 30
Starting Lineup
CF Charlie Blackmon
SS Troy Tulowitzki
1B Todd Helton
3B Nolan Arenado
RF Carlos González
LF Matt Holliday
DH Trevor Story
2B DJ LeMahieu
C Chris Iannetta
One-Sentence Take: Getting prime Todd Helton when he was a 40-homer threat playing alongside Troy Tulowitzki, Nolan Arenado, Carlos González and Matt Holliday would have put the Blake Street Bombers to shame.
Detroit Tigers
11 of 30
Starting Lineup
CF Curtis Granderson
RF Magglio Ordóñez
1B Miguel Cabrera
DH Victor Martínez
LF J.D. Martinez
C Iván Rodríguez
SS Carlos Guillen
2B Plácido Polanco
3B Brandon Inge
One-Sentence Take: This lineup is essentially the 2006 Tigers team that reached the World Series with Miguel Cabrera, J.D. Martinez and Victor Martinez added to the middle of the order.
Houston Astros
12 of 30
Starting Lineup
2B Jose Altuve
RF Kyle Tucker
LF Lance Berkman
1B Jeff Bagwell
DH Yordan Alvarez
SS Carlos Correa
3B Alex Bregman
CF George Springer
C Jason Castro
One-Sentence Take: A past-his-prime Jeff Bagwell from 2000 to the end of his career and wildly underrated slugger Lance Berkman are the perfect pieces to fill in around the Astros recent core of position-player talent.
Kansas City Royals
13 of 30
Starting Lineup
RF Carlos Beltrán
SS Bobby Witt Jr.
1B Mike Sweeney
C Salvador Perez
DH Billy Butler
3B Mike Moustakas
CF Lorenzo Cain
LF Alex Gordon
2B Whit Merrifield
One-Sentence Take: The Royals have never been big spenders in free agency, so it should come as no surprise that aside from Lorenzo Cain who was acquired in the deal that sent Zack Greinke to the Brewers, all of these players were homegrown.
Los Angeles Angels
14 of 30
Starting Lineup
DH Darin Erstad
CF Mike Trout
RF Vladimir Guerrero
3B Troy Glaus
LF Garret Anderson
1B Albert Pujols
C Mike Napoli
2B Howie Kendrick
SS Andrelton Simmons
One-Sentence Take: Even with a before-his-prime Mike Napoli, past-his-prime Albert Pujols and a light-hitting shortstop in Andrelton Simmons, this is still an impressive lineup with a good mix of power and contact skills.
Los Angeles Dodgers
15 of 30
Starting Lineup
RF Mookie Betts
SS Corey Seager
CF Matt Kemp
1B Freddie Freeman
DH Max Muncy
3B Justin Turner
C Will Smith
2B Jeff Kent
LF Andre Ethier
One-Sentence Take: It's easy to forget just how good Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier were at their respective peaks, and what a revolving door the outfield spots have been for the Dodgers since they departed.
Miami Marlins
16 of 30
Starting Lineup
2B Luis Castillo
SS Hanley Ramirez
3B Miguel Cabrera
RF Giancarlo Stanton
CF Christian Yelich
LF Marcell Ozuna
C J.T. Realmuto
1B Derrek Lee
DH Dan Uggla
One-Sentence Take: It's wild to think that Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna once shared an outfield, with J.T. Realmuto behind the plate on that same roster, and the Marlins blew that roster up with next to nothing to show for it.
Milwaukee Brewers
17 of 30
Starting Lineup
CF Christian Yelich
SS Willy Adames
LF Ryan Braun
1B Prince Fielder
DH Richie Sexson
RF Geoff Jenkins
3B Aramis Ramírez
C Jonathan Lucroy
2B Rickie Weeks
One-Sentence Take: The one-two punch of Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder was absolutely electric at its peak, while the deals to acquire Christian Yelich and Willy Adames stand as two of the best trades in Brewers franchise history.
Minnesota Twins
18 of 30
Starting Lineup
LF Byron Buxton
C Joe Mauer
CF Torii Hunter
1B Justin Morneau
SS Carlos Correa
2B Brian Dozier
3B Corey Koskie
DH Michael Cuddyer
RF Max Kepler
One-Sentence Take: It's interesting how many of these players dealt with significant health issues during their career, from the concussion issues of Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, to the short-lived peak of Corey Koskie to current injury-prone stars Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa.
New York Mets
19 of 30
Starting Lineup
SS Francisco Lindor
CF Carlos Beltrán
3B David Wright
1B Pete Alonso
C Mike Piazza
DH Daniel Murphy
RF Michael Conforto
LF Brandon Nimmo
2B Jeff McNeil
One-Sentence Take: At various points, Mike Piazza, David Wright and Carlos Beltrán were all the best players in baseball at their respective positions, and that trio really elevates this lineup.
New York Yankees
20 of 30
Starting Lineup
SS Derek Jeter
RF Aaron Judge
3B Alex Rodriguez
DH Jason Giambi
1B Mark Teixeira
2B Robinson Canó
LF Hideki Matsui
C Jorge Posada
CF Brett Gardner
One-Sentence Take: One of the toughest debates in the positional versions of this article series was Jason Giambi vs. Mark Teixeira at first base for the Yankees, and the addition of a catch-all DH spot allowed both to find their way into the final lineup.
Philadelphia Phillies
21 of 30
Starting Lineup
SS Jimmy Rollins
LF Bobby Abreu
RF Bryce Harper
1B Ryan Howard
2B Chase Utley
3B Scott Rolen
DH Pat Burrell
C J.T. Realmuto
CF Shane Victorino
One-Sentence Take: Considering how much star power the current Phillies lineup has, it's somewhat surprising that Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto are the only two who made the cut, until you remember just how many impact players were on those 2000s teams.
Pittsburgh Pirates
22 of 30
Starting Lineup
2B Freddy Sánchez
CF Andrew McCutchen
LF Brian Giles
DH Jason Bay
1B Josh Bell
RF Starling Marte
3B Ke'Bryan Hayes
C Russell Martin
SS Jack Wilson
One-Sentence Take: Brian Giles, Jason Bay and Freddy Sánchez all had short but excellent peaks with the Pirates, while Andrew McCutchen will go down as one of the best offensive players in franchise history when all is said and done.
San Diego Padres
23 of 30
Starting Lineup
RF Fernando Tatis Jr.
LF Brian Giles
3B Manny Machado
1B Adrián González
DH Ryan Klesko
2B Jake Cronenworth
CF Wil Myers
SS Khalil Greene
C Nick Hundley
One-Sentence Take: It's a shame there was no spot for Phil Nevin, who was an offensive superstar for a few short seasons in San Diego, especially when Khalil Greene and Nick Hundley found their way into the lineup.
San Francisco Giants
24 of 30
Starting Lineup
RF Hunter Pence
C Buster Posey
LF Barry Bonds
2B Jeff Kent
3B Pablo Sandoval
1B Brandon Belt
CF Mike Yastrzemski
DH Rich Aurilia
SS Brandon Crawford
One-Sentence Take: Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent were the high-powered offensive tandem during the early 2000s, but the trio of Buster Posey, Hunter Pence and Pablo Sandoval enjoyed far more postseason success.
Seattle Mariners
25 of 30
Starting Lineup
RF Ichiro Suzuki
LF Julio Rodríguez
2B Robinson Canó
C Cal Raleigh
3B Kyle Seager
1B John Olerud
CF Mike Cameron
DH Raul Ibañez
SS J.P. Crawford
One-Sentence Take: Ken Griffey Jr. played his final season with the Mariners in 1999 and Alex Rodriguez had only one season in Seattle after our 2000 cut line, or this would be a star-studded lineup.
St. Louis Cardinals
26 of 30
Starting Lineup
SS Edgar Rentería
DH Matt Carpenter
1B Albert Pujols
CF Jim Edmonds
3B Scott Rolen
LF Matt Holliday
RF J.D. Drew
C Yadier Molina
2B Kolten Wong
One-Sentence Take: For all the stability that Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols brought to their respective positions during their time in St. Louis, second base was consistently a revolving door, and Kolten Wong is the best of the bunch from a long list of starters.
Tampa Bay Rays
27 of 30
Starting Lineup
LF Carl Crawford
2B Ben Zobrist
3B Evan Longoria
1B Carlos Peña
RF Randy Arozarena
DH Brandon Lowe
SS Julio Lugo
C Mike Zunino
CF Kevin Kiermaier
One-Sentence Take: Evan Longoria, Carl Crawford and Ben Zobrist are the best position players in Rays franchise history, while Carlos Peña had a few huge offensive seasons, but for the most part it has been a pitching-centric organization since its inception.
Texas Rangers
28 of 30
Starting Lineup
DH Michael Young
SS Alex Rodriguez
CF Josh Hamilton
3B Adrian Beltré
1B Mark Teixeira
C Iván Rodríguez
2B Ian Kinsler
RF Nelson Cruz
LF Adolis García
One-Sentence Take: It was difficult to figure out where to slot Michael Young in the positional articles, and he ended up snubbed across all four infield spots, but that was rectified by his inclusion as the designated hitter.
Toronto Blue Jays
29 of 30
Starting Lineup
SS Bo Bichette
3B Josh Donaldson
RF José Bautista
1B Carlos Delgado
DH Edwin Encarnacion
CF Vernon Wells
LF Teoscar Hernández
C Alejandro Kirk
2B Aaron Hill
One-Sentence Take: Edwin Encarnacion (136 OPS+, 239 HR, 25.2 WAR) vs. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (137 OPS+, 160 HR, 21.5 WAR) for the DH spot was one of the tougher final decisions to make when finalizing these lineups, and by the end of the 2025 season Vlad Jr. might be the clear choice.
Washington Nationals
30 of 30
Starting Lineup
SS Trea Turner
LF Juan Soto
RF Vladimir Guerrero
CF Bryce Harper
3B Ryan Zimmerman
2B José Vidro
1B Nick Johnson
C Wilson Ramos
DH Ian Desmond
One-Sentence Take: Vladimir Guerrero and José Vidro were the offensive stars in the final days of the Montreal Expos franchise, and they fit nicely into the offensive core that has broken through since the move to Washington D.C.
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