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New MLB Rankings For Every Team's Starting 9 After 2 Months
Memorial Day has come and gone, so let's stop blaming or crediting small sample sizes for everything. The time for that is over.
Agreed? Good. That means we can get to ranking the best starting lineups in the league without anyone interjecting that it's still early.
This is still a challenging endeavor, mind you. Starting lineups are inherently fluid, and that much more so with some big players (i.e. Cal Raleigh, Francisco Lindor, Drake Baldwin) on the injured list. Moreover, there is no more a clear worst than there is a clear best.
And yet, we did our damndest to get it right. The rankings are largely rooted in each team's overall offensive success, though weight has also been given to specific strengths (such as home run hitting) and external factors (such as ballparks).
Along the way, we'll identify two players as each team's Most and Least Valuable Player.
All stats are current through Monday, May 25.
30. Colorado Rockies
1 of 30
Key Stats: 4.04 R/G, 0.7 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: CF Jake McCarthy, C Hunter Goodman, 1B TJ Rumfield, RF Tyler Freeman, LF Troy Johnston, 3B Willi Castro, SS Ezequiel Tovar, DH Sterlin Thompson, 2B Edouard Julien
MVP: Mickey Moniak
Moniak is on the injured list right now, so he's powerless to raise up a Rockies offense that is still below average at scoring despite, you know, the whole Coors Field thing. But when a dude is leading his league in slugging, that dude gets props even when he's not actively hitting.
LVP: Ezequiel Tovar
Tovar is good enough with the glove that he doesn't need his bat to carry him. Even so, you want an everyday shortstop to be doing better than a .578 OPS. He also has a .466 OPS at Coors Field, which should at least be a misdemeanor in Denver County.
29. Boston Red Sox
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Key Stats: 3.73 R/G, 10.1 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: LF Jarren Duran, DH Mickey Gasper, RF Wilyer Abreu, 1B Willson Contreras, CF Ceddanne Rafaela, 3B Nick Sogard, C Carlos Narvรกez, SS Marcelo Mayer, 2B Isiah Kiner-Falefa
MVP: Willson Contreras
The Red Sox have only hit 38 home runs, and 11 of those belong to Contreras. Between that and the fact that he has a 157 OPS+, you really wonder just how lost this offense would be if he hadn't come aboard via trade over the winter.
LVP: Caleb Durbin
Even if Durbin isn't technically a regular anymore, it'll take a while to undo the damage he did while he was playing every day. He's taken 147 at-bats this year and gotten only 24 hits, with just 11 walks on the side. Outs don't get much more automatic than that.
28. Texas Rangers
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Key Stats: 3.79 R/G, 8.3 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: DH Joc Pederson, RF Brandon Nimmo, 3B Josh Jung, LF Alejandro Osuna, 1B Jake Burger, CF Evan Carter, SS Ezequiel Duran, 2B Justin Foscue, C Danny Jansen
MVP: Brandon Nimmo
Nimmo has slowed down quite a bit in May, posting a .708 OPS after exiting April with a .824 OPS. But he's still mostly responsible for carrying a mostly lifeless Texas lineup, which at least gives the Rangers bragging rights about winning the Marcus Semien trade.
LVP: Evan Carter
Carter is actually second to Nimmo among Rangers hitters in rWAR, so he's clearly doing something (hint: playing defense) right. But he's also batting .163 with an OBP in the .200s and a slugging percentage in the low .300s, so let's not pretend like he's been a joy to watch.
27. New York Mets
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Key Stats: 3.85 R/G, 1.3 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: RF Carson Benge, SS Bo Bichette, LF Juan Soto, 3B Brett Baty, 1B Mark Vientos, CF A.J. Ewing, 2B Marcus Semien, DH MJ Melendez, C Luis Torrens
MVP: Juan Soto
The Mets' $765 million man is on track to have an even better year in 2026 than he did in 2025. His OPS+ is up to 170 and he's homered 10 times in 37 games, with six of those coming just in his last 10 appearances.
LVP: Marcus Semien and Bo Bichette
Why pick one when both have been equally miserable at the plate this year? Each is batting in the low .200s with an OPS in the .500s, which is not exactly what you want for $68 million in combined salaries.
26. San Francisco Giants
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Key Stats: 3.65 R/G, 5.1 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: SS Willy Adames, 2B Luis Arraez, LF Casey Schmitt, 1B Rafael Devers, 3B Matt Chapman, C Daniel Susac, DH Bryce Eldridge, CF Harrison Bader, RF Drew Gilbert
MVP: Luis Arraez
That the Giants are hitting .246 as a team (9th in MLB) is their saving grace, and a good chunk of the credit goes to Arraez, who's batting .318. He's struck out just nine times and swung and missed 33 times all year. Some hitters whiff that many times in one week.
LVP: Rafael Devers
It's a mark of shame that Matt Chapman has one homer to Arraez's two, but at least he has his OBP up over .300. Devers is only getting on base at a .291 clip, which undercuts his seven homers and 27 RBI and certainly doesn't redeem his lack of defensive usefulness.
25. Detroit Tigers
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Key Stats: 3.83 R/G, 2.1 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: DH Colt Keith, SS Kevin McGonigle, C Dillon Dingler, LF Riley Greene, 1B Spencer Torkelson, 3B Gage Workman, CF Matt Vierling, 2B Zach McKinstry, RF Wenceel Pรฉrez
MVP: Riley Greene
It's a hard call between Greene, Kevin McGonigle and Dillon Dingler, the latter two of whom lead the Tigers in rWAR and home runs. But Greene has largely carried an offense that ranks fourth from the bottom of MLB in scoring. He's batting .311 with a .404 OBP, the latter of which points to a greatly improved walk rate.
LVP: Spencer Torkelson
Every time the former No. 1 pick seems to turn a corner, he turns another corner back to where he was. So it goes in 2026, as he's following a solid 31-homer campaign in 2025 with a 95 OPS+ and -0.7 rWARโhe's one of six Tigers to post negative WAR while taking over 100 plate appearances.
24. San Diego Padres
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Key Stats: 3.98 R/G, 2.2 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: 2B Fernando Tatis Jr., DH Miguel Andujar, 1B Gavin Sheets, 3B Manny Machado, SS Xander Bogaerts, CF Jackson Merrill, RF Nick Castellanos, LF Ramรณn Laureano, C Freddy Fermin
MVP: Gavin Sheets
How are the Padres nine games over .500 despite a collective 86 OPS+? A lot of luck mostly, but Sheets is one guy who can take a bow for having an actually good season. He boasts team-highs with nine homers and a 135 OPS+.
LVP: Fernando Tatis Jr.
Tatis is doing what he can to help the team, notably by shifting from right field to second base so that Nick Castellanos can play. But we're still stuck on the zero homers thing. It's a shocking number for anyone after 223 plate appearances, much less a guy who led the NL with 42 long balls just five years ago.
23. Los Angeles Angels
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Key Stats: 4.02 R/G, 4.2 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: SS Zach Neto, CF Mike Trout, 1B Nolan Schanuel, DH Jorge Soler, RF Jo Adell, LF Wade Meckler, 2B Oswald Peraza, C Logan O'Hoppe, 3B Donovan Walton
MVP: Mike Trout
That one series at Yankee Stadium looms large in Trout's overall numbers, but we're still talking about a 153 OPS+ and 13 home runs. Provided he can stay healthyโfind a stiff piece of wood and pound the heck out of itโthis could be his best season since 2022.
LVP: Jo Adell
To be fair, that one game where he robbed three home runs was epic. Alas, Adell's OPS is still down over 100 points from last year, and he's contributed 52 strikeouts to the Angels' MLB-leading 516. And that's against only seven walks, to boot.
22. Kansas City Royals
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Key Stats: 3.89 R/G, 6.8 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: 3B Maikel Garcia, SS Bobby Witt Jr., 1B Vinnie Pasquantino, C Salvador Perez, DH Carter Jensen, RF Jac Caglianone, LF Isaac Collins, 2B Michael Massey, CF Kyle Isbel
MVP: Bobby Witt Jr.
Yeah, but you knew this. Witt averaged 8.4 rWAR over 2024 and 2025, and he's already up to an MLB-leading 3.4 rWAR this year. His bat is only part of the equation, and it's doing just dandy in producing a 139 OPS+ and 23 extra-base hits.
LVP: Vinnie Pasquantino
Pasquantino played the role of Robin to Witt's Batman last year, homering 32 times to lead the Royals. His production has unfortunately cratered, as he's homered only five times while batting .201 with a .622 OPS. Jac Caglianone has picked up some of that slack, but not enough.
21. Toronto Blue Jays
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Key Stats: 4.00 R/G, 3.5 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: DH George Springer, CF Daulton Varsho, 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr., LF Yohendrick Piรฑango, RF Jesรบs Sรกnchez, 3B Kazuma Okamoto, 2B Ernie Clement, SS Andrรฉs Gimรฉnez, C Brandon Valenzuela
MVP: Nobody
Ooh, a controversyโฆbut not really. That implies that there's a right answer here, and there isn't. Not one Blue Jays hitter with at least 100 plate appearances is doing better than a 112 OPS+, and that's not a lot to ask. Heck, Daylen Lile is doing better than that, and you don't even know who he is.
LVP: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Guerrero is the guy on the Blue Jays with the 112 OPS+, so perhaps this slide has officially gone off the rails. But $500 million should buy a consistent lineup rock, and Guerrero is doing that thing where he just vanishes for long stretches. Above all, it's inexcusable that he's slugging just .372 with three homers.
20. Philadelphia Phillies
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Key Stats: 4.0 R/G, 2.7 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: SS Trea Turner, DH Kyle Schwarber, 1B Bryce Harper, 3B Alec Bohm, LF Brandon Marsh, 2B Bryson Stott, C J.T. Realmuto, RF Adolis Garcรญa, CF Justin Crawford
MVP: Kyle Schwarber
He has how many home runs in 51 games? 21, you say? That's a dang 63-homer pace, and we know from Aaron Judge in 2022 and Cal Raleigh in 2025 that getting there is far from impossible even in this new age of dominant pitching.
LVP: Trea Turner
There's more than one guy letting the Phillies down, but the guy at the top of the lineup simply isn't doing his job. Turner is only getting on base at a .277 clip, which is partly the result of a spike in his strikeout rate. Maybe he needs another ovation.
19. Seattle Mariners
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Key Stats: 4.13 R/G, 7.2 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: SS J.P. Crawford, CF Julio Rodrรญguez, 1B Josh Naylor, LF Randy Arozarena, RF Luke Raley, 2B Cole Young, DH Dominic Canzone, C Mitch Garver, 3B Colt Emerson
MVP: Randy Arozarena
The Mariners do have some solid hitters despite their collective .227 average, and none has been more consistent than Arozarena. He's homered six times, and he's batting .299 and has worn eight pitches to help fuel a .390 OBP. Not a bad way to make up for that weird feud with Cal Raleigh, honestly.
LVP: Rob Refsnyder
Refsnyder isn't technically a regular, but he sees enough action as a platoon bat to come close. Whatever the case, the dude is 7-for-69 with 25 strikeouts. His OPS+ is 4. Four as in the singular number four, compared to a league average of 100.
18. Miami Marlins
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Key Stats: 4.35 R/G, 4.4 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: DH Liam Hicks, 2B Xavier Edwards, RF Owen Caissie, LF Kyle Stowers, SS Otto Lopez, CF Jakob Marsee, 1B Connor Norby, C Joe Mack, 3B Javier Sanoja
MVP: Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards
This is a proper "Why not both?" situation. Because when it comes down to it, both Lopez (.332) and Edwards (.311) are batting well over .300 and doing damage on the basepaths as well. They have contributed 14 stolen bases to the club's total of 62, the most in the majors.
LVP: Owen Caissie
It's between Caissie and Kyle Stowers, and the latter has at least one thing going for him. He may be like Caissie in that he has an OPS in the .650s, but only Caissie has fanned 61 times in 147 plate appearances. That's a strikeout rate that begins with a four.
17. Cincinnati Reds
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Key Stats: 4.45 R/G, 4.9 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: CF Blake Dunn, SS Elly De La Cruz, LF JJ Bleday, DH Sal Stewart, 3B Eugenio Suรกrez, 1B Nathaniel Lowe, RF Spencer Steer, C Tyler Stephenson, 2B Matt McLain
MVP: Elly De La Cruz
The notion that EDLC played hurt last year is only getting easier to believe. There's absolutely nothing wrong with a .282/.347/.516 slash line from an everyday shortstop. A lot of it comes down to his revolution as a right-handed hitter, as he now boasts a .971 OPS against lefties after previously peaking at .661.
LVP: TJ Friedl
Friedl is getting what one might call a bit of a break, but he still has 169 plate appearances to show for his season. And in those, he racked up a 43 OPS+ that ranks dead-last among qualified NL hitters.
16. Minnesota Twins
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Key Stats: 4.61 R/G, 5.0 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: CF Byron Buxton, LF Trevor Larnach, DH Josh Bell, 1B Kody Clemens, RF Austin Martin, SS Brooks Lee, C Victor Caratini, 2B Luke Keaschall, 3B Tristan Gray
MVP: Byron Buxton
Buxton has hit 16 home runs. No other Twins hitter has hit more than seven. This somewhat obscures how he only has a .322 OBP, with 54 strikeouts against only 14 walks. But until Ryan Jeffers is back, nobody in Minnesota is in the same league as Buxton offensively.
LVP: Josh Bell
Bell has had peaks and valleys throughout his career, but he at least keeps his overall offensive production safely in above-average territory. Not so this year, as he's batting just .223 with a 78 OPS+ as an everyday designated hitter.
15. Cleveland Guardians
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Key Stats: 4.18 R/G, 6.4 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: 2B Travis Bazzana, 3B Josรฉ Ramรญrez, RF Chase DeLauter, DH Kyle Manzardo, 1B Rhys Hoskins, LF Angel Martรญnez, CF Steven Kwan, C Patrick Bailey, SS Brayan Rocchio
MVP: Josรฉ Ramรญrez
J-Ram isn't off to a hot start, necessarily, but a 112 OPS+ and eight home runs put him safely above the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. threshold for disappointing superstars. He's also swiped 20 bases in 22 tries, which obviously helps.
LVP: Steven Kwan
Sheesh. What happened to Kwan? The elite bat-to-ball skill is still there, and he's even drawing a 14.6 walk rate. And yet, he's batting only .204, with just a .225 xBA that suggests it's not all bad luck.
14. Houston Astros
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Key Stats: 4.40 R/G, 8.6 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: SS Jeremy Peรฑa, 3B Isaac Paredes, DH Yordan Alvarez, 1B Christian Walker, CF Jake Meyers, 2B Braden Shewmake, RF Cam Smith, LF Zach Cole, C Christian Vรกzquez
MVP: Yordan Alvarez
Christian Walker (15 HR, 2.1 rWAR) is having a heck of a season in his own right, but Alvarez is just sitting there for us with 16 homers and league-leading marks for OPS (1.021) and OPS+ (186). So, go ahead. Make the Astros an offer.
LVP: Brice Matthews
Matthews is out of an everyday job, and he unfortunately brought this on himself. He's batting just .205, with nine walks against 46 strikeouts. He probably belongs in the minor leagues, but the Astros apparently don't have anyone else to take his spot.
13. Chicago White Sox
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Key Stats: 4.49 R/G, 6.3 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: LF Sam Antonacci, 1B Munetaka Murakami, 3B Miguel Vargas, SS Colson Montgomery, 2B Chase Meidroth, DH Andrew Benintendi, CF Tristan Peters, C Drew Romo, RF Rikuu Nishida
MVP: Munetaka Murakami
Miguel Vargas actually leads White Sox hitters in rWAR, but come on. Murakami has the 155 OPS+ and the AL-high 18 home runs supporting his Pale Hose MVP credentials. As so much of this team's identity comes from the long ball, it's fair to say they're following his lead.
LVP: Andrew Benintendi
Good defense used to be one of the things the White Sox were supposed to get out of Benintendi's $75 million deal. Now he's a DH, and one with only a 78 OPS+ to show for 170 plate appearances. And nobody likes a DH who can't hit.
12. St. Louis Cardinals
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Key Stats: 4.50 R/G, 8.8 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: 2B JJ Wetherholt, DH Ivรกn Herrera, 1B Alec Burleson, RF Jordan Walker, 3B Nolan Gorman, SS Masyn Winn, LF Bryan Torres, C Pedro Pagรฉs, CF Victor Scott II
MVP: Jordan Walker
Before this season, Walker's major league career consisted of 27 home runs and -2.6 rWAR. He's now at 15 homers and 3.1 rWAR just through 51 games, so one might say he's turned the exact corner the Cardinals had spent years hoping for.
LVP: Victor Scott II
Part of what makes this lineup effective is how deep it is, but there's definitely a steep cliff before it gets to Scott's spot. He's batting only .194 with an OPS in the .500s. Defense is supposed to be his thing, but his ratings aren't off the charts so far.
11. Baltimore Orioles
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Key Stats: 4.39 R/G, 5.6 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: LF Taylor Ward, SS Gunnar Henderson, C Adley Rutschman, 1B Pete Alonso, DH Samuel Basallo, CF Leody Taveras, RF Colton Cowser, 3B Coby Mayo, 2B Jackson Holliday
MVP: Adley Rutschman
Taylor Ward and Samuel Basallo are also carrying some freight for the Orioles, but our hat is off to Rutschman for how he's reestablished himself. The 128 OPS+ and seven homers are a good look for a guy who has also taken the bulk of the starts behind the plate.
LVP: Coby Mayo
Pete Alonso and Gunnar Henderson have been disappointing, but there's a line between there and downright bad. Mayo is on the other side of it, as he's batting just .186 and striking out at a 30.8 percent clip.
10. Washington Nationals
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Key Stats: 5.42 R/G, 8.5 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: DH James Wood, 1B Luis Garcรญa Jr., 3B Josรฉ Tena, SS CJ Abrams, RF Dylan Crews, LF Daylen Lile, CF Jacob Young, 2B Nasim Nuรฑez, C Keibert Ruiz
MVP: James Wood and CJ Abrams
The Nationals lead the majors in scoring overwhelmingly thanks to these two. Wood stands out with an NL-high 45 walks, but he and Abrams are otherwise in the same neighborhood for home runs, OPS and WAR. So far, at least, they're arguably the best star duo of 2026.
LVP: Nasim Nuรฑez
We mentioned earlier that Sal Frelick has taken over 185 plate appearances and posted .200s or worse in all three triple-slash categories. Nuรฑezย is the only other guy in that club, and he's not even over the Mendoza Line with his .188 average.
9. Athletics
22 of 30
Key Stats: 4.33 R/G, 6.2 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: RF Carlos Cortes, 1B Nick Kurtz, C Shea Langeliers, DH Brent Rooker, LF Tyler Soderstrom, 3B Zack Gelof, CF Henry Bolte, 2B Jeff McNeil, SS Darell Hernaiz
MVP: Shea Langeliers and Nick Kurtz
Psh. Like we're only going to pick one. Langeliers (.931) and Kurtz (.926) have basically the same OPS, even if they've gotten there different ways. Langeliers (13 HR) is the power source, while Kurtz's 48-game on-base streak is fueling a league-leading .444 OBP.
LVP: Lawrence Butler
This is the latest in our genre of "Well, He Was an Everyday Player." Butler is only getting the occasional pinch-hitter at-bat now, and those have yet to be much help to his numbers. He's batting .168 with a .255 slugging percentage, the latter of which is third-worst among hitters with at least 150 plate appearances.
8. Pittsburgh Pirates
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Key Stats: 4.78 R/G, 7.6 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: 1B Spencer Horwitz, 2B Brandon Lowe, LF Bryan Reynolds, 3B Nick Gonzales, CF Oneil Cruz, DH Marcell Ozuna, SS Konnor Griffin, RF Jake Mangum, C Henry Davis
MVP: Brandon Lowe
The Bucs are the most improved offensive team in MLB, and a lot of that traces back to having acquired Lowe over the winter. Oneil Cruz has one more RBI, but Lowe otherwise leads the team in home runs, OBP, slugging and OPS.
LVP: Marcell Ozuna
On the other hand, here's an offseason acquisition that should probably be written off as a failed experiment. Ozuna's only job is to hit, yet he's batting .184 with five home runs and a career-high 29.0 strikeout percentage.
7. Milwaukee Brewers
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Key Stats: 4.92 R/G, 6.9 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: LF Jackson Chourio, 2B Brice Turang, C William Contreras, DH Christian Yelich, CF Garrett Mitchell, 1B Jake Bauers, RF Sal Frelick, SS Joey Ortiz, 3B David Hamilton
MVP: Brice Turang
How do the Brewers have one of MLB's highest-scoring offenses despite ranking last in home runs? They largely take after Turang, who gets on base (NL-high .410 OBP) and is really good at running the bases. With that said, though, his 19 extra-base hits are tops on the Brewers.
LVP: Sal Frelick
Frelick at least has Gold Glove defense to fall back on, but you just never want to see a hitter who's in the .200s in all three triple-slash categories. And among that special group of hitters, only he and one other have taken as many as 185 plate appearances.
6. Tampa Bay Rays
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Key Stats: 4.76 R/G, 7.2 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: LF Chandler Simpson, 3B Junior Caminero, 1B Jonathan Aranda, DH Yandy Dรญaz, 2B Richie Palacios, CF Cedric Mullins, RF Victor Mesa Jr., C Hunter Feduccia, SS Taylor Walls
MVP: Yandy Dรญaz
Junior Caminero is the home run man and Jonathan Aranda is the RBI man, but Dรญazย is the all-hats hitter in the Rays lineup. His .314 average has him on track for his second AL batting title, and he has his OBP up around .400 and his slugging percentage over .500.
LVP: Cedric Mullins
Resurrecting Mullins' career was worth a shot for the Rays, but he looks like the same hitter who flopped with the Mets last summer. He's only batting .194, though he's at least stolen 10 bases to make himself useful on the basepaths.
5. Arizona Diamondbacks
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Key Stats: 4.62 R/G, 7.9 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: 2B Ketel Marte, RF Corbin Carroll, SS Geraldo Perdomo, 3B Nolan Arenado, CF Ryan Waldschmidt, 1B Ildemaro Vargas, C Gabriel Moreno, DH Jose Fernandez, LF Tommy Troy
MVP: Corbin Carroll
Carroll is this close to a coveted .300/.400/.500 slash line, as he's falling just short in the middle with a .399 OBP. Regardless, he leads the National League with a .974 OPS and has taken the hard way to 27 extra-base hits: 12 doubles, eight triples, seven homers.
LVP: Jose Fernandez
Perhaps Geraldo Perdomo's feet should be held to the fire amid his somewhat disappointing year, but he hasn't been bad. Fernandez, on the other hand, has gotten 149 plate appearances and only has an 86 OPS+ to show for them. Even if it's a relatively inoffensive number, this lineup sets the bar higher than most.
4. Chicago Cubs
27 of 30
Key Stats: 4.70 R/G, 12.4 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: CF Pete Crow-Armstrong, 2B Nico Hoerner, 1B Michael Busch, 3B Alex Bregman, LF Ian Happ, RF Seiya Suzuki, C Carson Kelly, DH Michael Conforto, SS Dansby Swanson
MVP: Ian Happ
I mean...maybe? The truth is that this Cubs lineup is a case of a bunch of guys having good seasons, but nobody truly having a great one. But at least Happ has a team-high 10 home runs, as well as a solid 125 OPS+ over 224 plate appearances.
LVP: Dansby Swanson
Alex Bregman is also letting the Cubs down on the left side of the infield, but at least he has an average-ish OPS+ at 103. Swanson is all the way down at 84, with his average below .200 and his OBP below .300. And this time, the metrics are split on his defense at shortstop.
3. New York Yankees
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Key Stats: 4.78 R/G, 9.1 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: CF Trent Grisham, RF Aaron Judge, DH Ben Rice, LF Cody Bellinger, 1B Paul Goldschmidt, 2B Jazz Chisholm Jr., SS Josรฉ Caballero, 3B Ryan McMahon, C Austin Wells
MVP: Ben Rice
This could just as easily be Aaron Judge or Cody Bellinger, who lead the Yankees in home runs and WAR, respectively. Yet Rice is leading the AL with a .609 slugging percentage, and you could make the case he's been a tougher out than Judge despite a slight OBP deficit. He's fanned just 48 times to Judge's 68.
LVP: Ryan McMahon
If anyone's counting, McMahon has played in 104 games as a Yankee and has hit just .199 with eight home runs. So much for the idea that he could survive outside of Coors Field in the same way that DJ LeMahieu once did.
2. Atlanta Braves
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Key Stats: 5.22 R/G, 11.8 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: RF Ronald Acuรฑaย Jr., CF Michael Harris II, 1B Matt Olson, 2B Ozzie Albies, DH Dominic Smith, 3B Austin Riley, LF Mike Yastrzemski, SS Ha-Seong Kim, C Sandy Leรณn
MVP: Matt Olson
With Drake Baldwin on the IL, this is a pretty clear choice in Olson's favor. He's co-leading MLB alongside Kyle Schwarber with 31 extra-base hits, and he should be well on his way to winning his fourth Gold Glove, to boot. Dude's just a really good player.
LVP: Austin Riley
It's been a bounce-back year for a bunch of Braves hitters, but not for Riley. His offensive production has resembled a countdown for several years now, and the .673 OPS and 93 OPS+ he has this year make it feel less and less tenable.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
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Key Stats: 5.17 R/G, 13.5 WAR
Go-To Starting Lineup: DH Shohei Ohtani, SS Mookie Betts, 1B Freddie Freeman, RF Kyle Tucker, CF Andy Pages, 3B Max Muncy, C Will Smith, LF Teoscar Hernรกndez, 2B Hyeseong Kim
MVP: Andy Pages
Let's at least nod at Shohei Ohtani and Max Muncy, but this isn't even about how Pages leads the Dodgers with 3.3 rWAR. He's been ridiculous in the clutch, batting .348 with men on base and .324 in high-leverage spots. You know, just in case anyone was wondering where his MLB-leading 46 RBI came from.
LVP: Will Smith
This is tricky, because none of this team's regulars is having a truly bad season so far. Smith is merely having the most disappointing season, as he's gone from a .901 OPS last year to a .660 OPS this year.
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.
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