Ranking Every MLB Team's Projected 2020 Opening Day Starting Lineup
There were a few weeks there when we weren't sure if this moment would ever arrive, but Major League Baseball's 2020 Opening Day is finally at our doorstep.
Which teams' starting lineups are best equipped to mash their way through an asterisk-laden 60-game regular season?
On July 10, MLB.com posted projected starting lineups for all 30 teams. After updating that data set to account for players expected to miss the start of the season because of injury or a positive COVID-19 test, we've ranked those 30 likely Opening Day starting lineups in ascending order of top-to-bottom dominance.
There's obviously a lot of subjectivity in such a ranking process, but as a rule of thumb, mitigating easy outs is the name of the game. Just because two rosters might be projected to hit the same number of home runs, that does not mean they're created equally. Better to have nine starters each hit a dozen home runs than have those 108 dingers confined to half the lineup while the other half is barely even a threat to go yard.
If that doesn't make sense yet, hopefully it will by the time you start encountering guys like Mike Trout and Pete Alonso outside our top 10.
Nos. 30-28
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30. Baltimore Orioles
- Austin Hays, CF
- Anthony Santander, LF
- Chris Davis, 1B
- Renato Nunez, DH
- Rio Ruiz, 3B
- Pedro Severino, C
- Hanser Alberto, 2B
- DJ Stewart, RF
- Jose Iglesias, SS
The Skinny: Trey Mancini was just about the only bright spot for Baltimore in 2019, hitting .291 with 35 home runs. Unfortunately, the slugger will miss the entire 2020 season after undergoing surgery in March to remove a malignant tumor from his colon.
The Orioles likely would have ranked in the bottom three even if their best slugger was healthy. But with Mancini on the shelf and with Jonathan Villar (.274 AVG, 24 HR, 40 SB in 2019) now playing in Miami, this lineup is an extra hot mess. Chris Davis' contract ($21.1 million per year through 2022) just looks uglier by the day.
29. San Francisco Giants
- Mike Yastrzemski, RF
- Brandon Belt, 1B
- Evan Longoria, 3B
- Alex Dickerson, LF
- Hunter Pence, DH
- Brandon Crawford, SS
- Mauricio Dubon, CF
- Yolmer Sanchez, 2B
- Tyler Heineman, C
The Skinny: Mike Yastrzemski had an exciting breakout year as a 28-year-old rookie, hitting 21 home runs last year—33 if you count the dozen he slugged in his 40 games in Triple-A. Beyond the leadoff spot, though, San Francisco's lineup gets bleak in a hurry.
A core of Brandon Belt, Evan Longoria and Hunter Pence would've been great four years ago, but they're all past their prime and dealing with some day-to-day injuries, to boot. (Belt and Pence both have a foot injury; Longoria is dealing with a sore oblique.) Buster Posey's decision to opt out of the 2020 season didn't help matters, either.
28. Detroit Tigers
- Niko Goodrum, SS
- Victor Reyes, RF
- Miguel Cabrera, DH
- C.J. Cron, 1B
- Jonathan Schoop, 2B
- Christin Stewart, LF
- Jeimer Candelario, 3B
- Austin Romine, C
- JaCoby Jones, CF
The Skinny: Detroit had the most anemic offense last season. It was one of the most anemic of the past decade, for that matter. The Tigers averaged just 3.6 runs per game with nary a player who hit more than 15 home runs.
Acquiring C.J. Cron (55 home runs over the past two seasons) and Jonathan Schoop (four consecutive years with at least 20 home runs) should be a nice step in the right direction. However, it's going to take a lot of steps for Detroit to climb out of the basement.
Nos. 27-25
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27. Seattle Mariners
- Shed Long Jr., 2B
- Evan White, 1B
- Kyle Seager, 3B
- Kyle Lewis, RF
- Daniel Vogelbach, DH
- Tom Murphy, C
- J.P. Crawford, SS
- Jake Fraley, LF
- Mallex Smith, CF
The Skinny: Say this much for the Mariners: At least they're young. Save for Kyle Seager (32), each projected starter is under the age of 30, and five of them are 25 or under. For the most part, that means untapped potential.
However, between Evan White (zero), Kyle Lewis (75) and Jake Fraley (41), one-third of Seattle's projected starting lineup has a combined total of 116 career plate appearances in the majors. They might quickly blossom, or they might flounder. If the latter, the rest of this lineup isn't strong enough to pick up the pieces.
26. Pittsburgh Pirates
- Kevin Newman, SS
- Bryan Reynolds, LF
- Adam Frazier, 2B
- Josh Bell, 1B
- Jose Osuna, DH
- Colin Moran, 3B
- Jacob Stallings, C
- Guillermo Heredia, RF
- Jarrod Dyson, CF
The Skinny: Both Gregory Polanco and highly touted prospect Ke'Bryan Hayes are out indefinitely after testing positive for the coronavirus, leaving the Pirates scrounging for options. But after trading Starling Marte to Arizona in January, Pittsburgh wasn't exactly building a juggernaut anyway.
At least Josh Bell is quite the anchor in the middle of the lineup. He clubbed 37 home runs and earned a spot in the 2019 All-Star Game. And Kevin Newman (.308 AVG in 2019) and Bryan Reynolds (.314) should provide a good number of RBI opportunities for Bell. Don't be surprised if he draws a lot of intentional walks, though, given how weak the back half of this lineup looks.
25. Tampa Bay Rays
- Brandon Lowe, 2B
- Yandy Diaz 3B
- Ji-Man Choi, 1B
- Hunter Renfroe, LF
- Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, RF
- Mike Zunino, C
- Kevin Kiermaier, CF
- Joey Wendle, DH
- Willy Adames, SS
The Skinny: The full-strength Rays probably have a top-20 lineup, but they get knocked down a few pegs with 2019 All-Star Austin Meadows out indefinitely while he recovers from the coronavirus. We anticipate he will return at some point, but Meadows is easily the most noteworthy player expected to miss the start of the season.
The Rays also lost Tommy Pham (21 HR) and Avisail Garcia (20 HR) from last year's roster, so this outfield looks a lot different. Hunter Renfroe (85 HR with San Diego since start of 2017) is at least a known commodity in the middle of the lineup. We'll see if Japanese import Yoshitomo Tsutsugo can made a seamless transition to MLB. Tampa Bay may be in some trouble if he doesn't.
Nos. 24-22
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24. Miami Marlins
- Jonathan Villar, CF
- Brian Anderson, 3B
- Corey Dickerson, LF
- Jesus Aguilar, 1B
- Isan Diaz, 2B
- Garrett Cooper, DH
- Jorge Alfaro, C
- Jon Berti, RF
- Miguel Rojas, SS
The Skinny: Both Matt Joyce and Lewis Brinson are expected to open the season on the 10-day injured list, leaving Miami in a bit of an outfield pickle. Newly acquired Jonathan Villar—who has played all of 13 games in the outfield in his seven-year career—is probably going to start in center field while either Garrett Cooper or Jon Berti will at least temporarily hold down the fort in right field.
Regardless of where Villar lands in the field, though, it's his bat and his speed that make him the star of this lineup. And if the Marlins happen to get the 2017 version of Corey Dickerson and the 2018 version of Jesus Aguilar, these bats could be a real X-factor in a 60-game season. If they get the 2019 versions of Dickerson and Aguilar, though, there's no question Miami will remain in the basement of the NL East.
23. Cincinnati Reds
- Shogo Akiyama, LF
- Joey Votto, 1B
- Eugenio Suarez, 3B
- Mike Moustakas, 2B
- Nick Castellanos, DH
- Jesse Winker, RF
- Nick Senzel, CF
- Tucker Barnhart, C
- Freddy Galvis, SS
The Skinny: Now closing in on 37 years of age, Joey Votto has definitely slipped at the plate over the past two years. But the Reds added three key bats this offseason to help offset his decline.
Shogo Akiyama hit over .300 with at least 20 home runs in each of his last three seasons in the Japan Pacific League. He'll immediately be one of Cincinnati's best assets if he's anywhere close to that level of production. Mike Moustakas hit 35 home runs last year with Milwaukee, and Nick Castellanos has batted .287 with 76 home runs since the beginning of 2017. Throw in Eugenio Suarez's 49 dingers last year, and it looks like Cincinnati finally decided to give Votto somewhat of a supporting cast for the first time in a decade.
22. Texas Rangers
- Shin-Soo Choo, DH
- Elvis Andrus, SS
- Danny Santana, CF
- Joey Gallo, RF
- Todd Frazier, 3B
- Willie Calhoun, LF
- Rougned Odor, 2B
- Ronald Guzman, 1B
- Robinson Chirinos, C
The Skinny: After doing next to nothing from 2015-18, it was stunning to see Danny Santana explode for 28 home runs while batting .283 last season. Rougned Odor (30), Shin-Soo Choo (24), Joey Gallo (22) and Willie Calhoun (21) also each hit more than 20 home runs for the Rangers. Todd Frazier (21) also eclipsed that mark while with the Mets, so there's no question the Rangers can mash taters.
But will they all be solo shots? Gallo has a .212 career batting average. Neither Odor (.240) nor Frazier (.243) is much better. Santana had just a .256 OBP from 2015-18. And Choo turned 38 earlier this month, so he's got to be nearing the end of the line. If you're looking for a team that could hit seven home runs one night and then get no-hit 24 hours later, Texas is the clear choice.
Nos. 21-19
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21. Kansas City Royals
- Whit Merrifield, CF
- Adalberto Mondesi, SS
- Hunter Dozier, RF
- Jorge Soler, DH
- Salvador Perez, C
- Alex Gordon, LF
- Maikel Franco, 3B
- Ryan O'Hearn, 1B
- Nicky Lopez, 2B
The Skinny: After five frustrating years of not living up to his five-tool potential, Jorge Soler finally did some raking in 2019. Sure, he infamously led the American League with 178 strikeouts, but he also led the league with 48 home runs. Kansas City will happily overlook the former if he continues to provide the latter.
Hunter Dozier also made a huge leap in 2019, batting .279 with 65 extra-base hits. But even with the heart of the order thriving—and with Whit Merrifield batting better than .300—the Royals ranked 26th in the majors in runs scored. Getting Salvador Perez back (missed all of 2019 following Tommy John surgery) and adding Maikel Franco from the Phillies should help matters, but they need more from Ryan O'Hearn and Nicky Lopez than what they managed last year.
20. St. Louis Cardinals
- Kolten Wong, 2B
- Matt Carpenter, DH
- Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
- Paul DeJong, SS
- Yadier Molina, C
- Dexter Fowler, RF
- Tommy Edman, 3B
- Lane Thomas, LF
- Harrison Bader, CF
The Skinny: Much like San Francisco's lineup, this St. Louis starting nine would have been a lot scarier a few years ago. Yadier Molina is 38 years old. Matt Carpenter and Dexter Fowler are both 34 and had mediocre 2019 campaigns. Paul Goldschmidt will be 33 in September, and last year he was also producing at a level far below his previous norms.
Unlike San Francisco, at least the Cardinals have other quality hitters surrounding their aging former All-Stars. Paul DeJong hit 30 home runs last year, Kolten Wong is a solid leadoff bat and Tommy Edman should feature prominently on every list of potential breakout stars. St. Louis doesn't have a surefire top-50 hitter, but six or seven guys with at least fringe top-100 potential isn't too shabby.
19. Toronto Blue Jays
- Bo Bichette, SS
- Cavan Biggio, 2B
- Lourdes Gurriel Jr., LF
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B
- Teoscar Hernandez, RF
- Randal Grichuk, CF
- Travis Shaw, 3B
- Rowdy Tellez, DH
- Danny Jansen, C
The Skinny: If you thought the Mariners were young, Toronto takes that to another level. Travis Shaw—who just turned 30 in April—is the oldest batter on the entire roster. Second-generation baseball stars Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made their MLB debuts in 2019. Despite that overall lack of experience, there's a ridiculous amount of potential here.
Like the aforementioned Texas Rangers, though, we're not sure if the Blue Jays can hit for average. Bichette (.311) was excellent in his 46 games played last year, but Biggio, Teoscar Hernandez, Randal Grichuk, Rowdy Tellez and Danny Jansen all hit below .235 in 2019. They'll need to improve if Toronto is to have any hope of competing in the AL East.
Nos. 18-16
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18. Milwaukee Brewers
- Lorenzo Cain, CF
- Christian Yelich, RF
- Keston Hiura, 2B
- Ryan Braun, DH
- Justin Smoak, 1B
- Avisail Garcia, LF
- Omar Narvaez, C
- Jedd Gyorko, 3B
- Orlando Arcia, SS
The Skinny: Christian Yelich was named the 2018 NL MVP, and he likely would've won it for a second consecutive year if he hadn't suffered a fractured knee cap on Sept. 10. Despite missing 32 games on the year, Yelich batted .329 and hit 44 home runs. And after just half a season in the big leagues, Keston Hiura already looks the part of a perennial All-Star.
After losing Yasmani Grandal, Mike Moustakas and Eric Thames, though, what else is Milwaukee bringing to the table in 2020? No offense to Omar Narvaez, Justin Smoak and Jedd Gyorko/Eric Sogard, but there's no question that Milwaukee downgraded at three positions. Ryan Braun—set to turn 37 in November—is a far cry from his vintage (PED-boosted) numbers, too. As a pitcher, survive the first three spots in this order and the next six aren't so bad.
17. Arizona Diamondbacks
- Ketel Marte, 2B
- Starling Marte, CF
- Eduardo Escobar, 3B
- David Peralta, LF
- Christian Walker, 1B
- Jake Lamb, DH
- Kole Calhoun, RF
- Nick Ahmed, SS
- Carson Kelly, C
The Skinny: Ketel Marte and Starling Marte aren't related, but they're going to be a fun duo atop the Diamondbacks lineup. Ketel finished fourth in the 2019 NL MVP race last year, hitting .329 with 32 home runs. And while with the Pirates, Starling had an impressive career-best 23 home runs with a .295 average and 25 stolen bases.
When those two aren't driving themselves in with home runs, both Eduardo Escobar (35 home runs in 2019) and Christian Walker (29) are well equipped to do so. Even Carson Kelly (18 home runs) packs a punch at the bottom of the lineup.
16. Washington Nationals
- Trea Turner, SS
- Adam Eaton, RF
- Starlin Castro, 2B
- Juan Soto, LF
- Howie Kendrick, DH
- Eric Thames, 1B
- Yan Gomes, C
- Carter Kieboom, 3B
- Victor Robles, CF
The Skinny: The Nats lost a lot of production from their World Series-winning lineup. Most notable among the departures was Anthony Rendon joining the Angels after finishing third in the NL MVP vote, but Brian Dozier and Matt Adams also left after each hitting 20 home runs in 2019. And with franchise man Ryan Zimmerman sitting out this season amid coronavirus concerns, the Nationals are starting over from scratch at several positions.
A top four led by Trea Turner and Juan Soto should do a fair amount of damage, and there are much worse catcher platoons out there than Yan Gomes and Kurt Suzuki. But we'll see if Carter Kieboom is the answer at third base, or if Eric Thames' career .244 batting average will be good enough to hang on to the first base gig.
Nos. 15-13
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15. San Diego Padres
- Fernando Tatis Jr., SS
- Tommy Pham, LF
- Manny Machado, 3B
- Eric Hosmer, 1B
- Wil Myers, RF
- Trent Grisham, CF
- Jurickson Profar, 2B
- Josh Naylor, DH
- Francisco Mejia, C
The Skinny: On the left side of the field, you won't find a trio much better than San Diego's Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Tommy Pham. Machado's first year wasn't quite what the Padres were hoping for when they signed him to a 10-year, $300 million deal, but he was still quite good. Tatis' rookie year (aside from the back injury) was sensational. And trading for Pham—a .277 career hitter with 65 home runs and 65 stolen bases over the past three seasons—looks good on paper.
The rest of the lineup is much less tantalizing. Eric Hosmer and Wil Myers were wildly touted prospects once upon a time, but they've been nothing close to All-Star-level in the past two years. Trent Grisham has potential, but he's hardly a sure thing. And while Jurickson Profar has hit 20 home runs in each of the past two seasons, mediocre fielding and a rough career batting average leave something to be desired, even for a guy projected to bat seventh.
14. Los Angeles Angels
- David Fletcher, 2B
- Mike Trout, CF
- Anthony Rendon, 3B
- Shohei Ohtani, DH
- Justin Upton, LF
- Albert Pujols, 1B
- Jason Castro, C
- Andrelton Simmons, SS
- Brian Goodwin, RF
The Skinny: Mike Trout is the best player in the world, and having Anthony Rendon as the second-best player on the roster is quite the enviable position for any team. Throw in 2018 AL ROY Shohei Ohtani and the Angels are cooking with gas in the heart of that lineup.
However, Albert Pujols has been on the back nine of his career for several years now, and Justin Upton (.215 average while dealing with toe and knee injuries in 2019) may have joined him on that trajectory. If the Angels weren't paying those two guys like $1 billion per season, maybe they could find room for all of Tommy La Stella, David Fletcher and Andrelton Simmons in the starting lineup.
13. Philadelphia Phillies
- Andrew McCutchen, LF
- J.T. Realmuto, C
- Bryce Harper, RF
- Rhys Hoskins, 1B
- Didi Gregorius, SS
- Jean Segura, 3B
- Jay Bruce, DH
- Scott Kingery, 2B
- Roman Quinn, CF
The Skinny: Hard to argue with the heart of this batting order. J.T. Realmuto is arguably the most valuable catcher in the majors right now. Bryce Harper is the 2015 NL MVP who hit 35 home runs last year. Rhys Hoskins has hit 63 home runs and 71 doubles over the past two seasons. And the newest member of the club, Didi Gregorius, had a per-162 game average of 32 home runs and 108 RBI over the past three seasons.
But how will Andrew McCutchen look 13 months after suffering a torn ACL? Can utility man Scott Kingery bounce back from a rough second half of last season to lock down an everyday job? And with Kingery presumably manning second base, can Roman Quinn or Adam Haseley handle the center field gig? Philadelphia has a great 2-5, but there are some much better 1-9s out there.
Nos. 12-10
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12. New York Mets
- Jeff McNeil, 3B
- Pete Alonso, 1B
- Michael Conforto, RF
- J.D. Davis, LF
- Robinson Cano, 2B
- Yoenis Cespedes, DH
- Brandon Nimmo, CF
- Wilson Ramos, C
- Amed Rosario, SS
The Skinny: Similar to the Phillies' 2-5, the Mets have a pretty stout projected 1-4. Pete Alonso led the majors with 53 home runs last season. Jeff McNeil and J.D. Davis both hit better than .300 and slugged better than .525 thanks to more than 20 home runs. And Michael Conforto set a new career high in home runs for the fourth consecutive year (33 in 2019).
Beyond that, though, who knows? Robinson Cano has declined considerably over the past two seasons, and it has been more than two calendar years since Yoenis Cespedes played in a game because of foot/ankle injuries. Even so, if Brandon Nimmo can bounce back to 2018 form while Amed Rosario builds on a solid 2019 campaign, the Mets would easily have a top-10 lineup.
11. Oakland A's
- Marcus Semien, SS
- Matt Chapman, 3B
- Matt Olson, 1B
- Khris Davis, DH
- Ramon Laureano, CF
- Mark Canha, LF
- Stephen Piscotty, RF
- Sean Murphy, C
- Franklin Barreto, 2B
The Skinny: While Oakland doesn't have a Mike Trout, Bryce Harper or Pete Alonso type of sensation, what the A's do have is an impressive stockpile of above-average hitters. Each of the top six guys in their projected starting lineup hit at least 23 home runs last season, and Stephen Piscotty had 27 in 2018. Save for Khris Davis—who has averaged 39 home runs in his four seasons in Oakland—they each hit .249 or better, too.
Catcher and second base are pretty big question marks, though. Franklin Barreto is a career .189 hitter, and Tony Kemp isn't much better if he wins that job. And Sean Murphy has just 60 career plate appearances at the MLB level. That black hole in the bottom two spots of the order keeps an otherwise solid A's lineup just outside our top 10.
10. Colorado Rockies
- David Dahl, CF
- Trevor Story, SS
- Charlie Blackmon, RF
- Nolan Arenado, 3B
- Daniel Murphy, DH
- Ryan McMahon, 1B
- Raimel Tapia, LF
- Garrett Hampson, 2B
- Tony Wolters, C
The Skinny: Trevor Story and Nolan Arenado are arguably two of the 10 best batters in the game today, and Charlie Blackmon—even at the age of 34—isn't far behind them. That trio combined for 108 home runs and 289 runs batted in last season.
There were concerns that Blackmon might miss the start of the season after testing positive for the coronavirus in late June, but with him back and ready for Opening Day, Colorado should have a top-10 lineup. David Dahl is a solid leadoff hitter with a career .297 average, and Daniel Murphy and Ryan McMahon are dangerous enough at No. 5 and No. 6 that simply pitching around Colorado's murderers' row isn't an option.
Nos. 9-7
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9. Cleveland Indians
- Francisco Lindor, SS
- Oscar Mercado, CF
- Carlos Santana, 1B
- Franmil Reyes, LF
- Jose Ramirez, 3B
- Domingo Santana, DH
- Tyler Naquin, RF
- Cesar Hernandez, 2B
- Roberto Perez, C
The Skinny: Cleveland has a trio of household names, plus a duo on the brink of joining that club.
Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez are bona fide stars, and Carlos Santana—who just had the best season of his career at the age of 33—has been good enough for long enough that most people know his name. Oscar Mercado and Franmil Reyes aren't quite there yet, but that could change in a hurry.
The former batted .269 with 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases as a rookie last year. The latter hit 37 home runs as a "sophomore" between his time with San Diego and Cleveland. If both of those young guys continue to develop, Cleveland is going to be a buzz saw at the dish.
8. Atlanta Braves
- Ronald Acuna Jr., RF
- Ozzie Albies, 2B
- Freddie Freeman, 1B
- Marcell Ozuna, DH
- Adam Duvall, LF
- Austin Riley, 3B
- Travis d'Arnaud, C
- Dansby Swanson, SS
- Ender Inciarte, CF
The Skinny: Even with Josh Donaldson relocating to Minnesota and Nick Markakis opting out of the 2020 season, the Braves should be in good shape—if we can assume Freddie Freeman doesn't have any lasting effects from his diagnosis of COVID-19. He should be available on or shortly after Opening Day, though, so that's great news for Atlanta.
In addition to that perennial star at first base, 2018 NL ROY Ronald Acuna Jr. has already arrived as one of the greatest players in the majors, and Ozzie Albies is quickly emerging as one of the most valuable second basemen in recent history. Marcell Ozuna was a great offseason pickup to fill the void of Donaldson's bat in the lineup. And we're all waiting with bated breath to find out whether the real Austin Riley is the one who hit .280 with 14 home runs in his first 42 games or the one who hit .150 with four home runs in the next 38. If the former, Atlanta should repeat as NL East champions.
7. Chicago Cubs
- Kris Bryant, 3B
- Anthony Rizzo, 1B
- Javier Baez, SS
- Kyle Schwarber, DH
- Willson Contreras, C
- Jason Heyward, RF
- Ian Happ, LF
- Albert Almora Jr., CF
- Jason Kipnis, 2B
The Skinny: With the exception of cutting ties with Addison Russell and hoping for the best with Jason Kipnis at second base, the Cubs are basically just running the same lineup back as last year—but with Ian Happ in left field and Kyle Schwarber at designated hitter for the temporary universal DH rule.
But when six of your starters—each of whom was 29 or under in 2019—batted at least .250 with 21 or more home runs, why not keep things relatively the same? If Kipnis merely manages a repeat of last season (.245 average with an 8.4-homer pace in a 60-game season), the only question mark in this lineup is Albert Almora Jr. And Chicago grabbed Steven Souza Jr. as a free agent as a possible backup plan if Almora continues to struggle.
Nos. 6-4
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6. Boston Red Sox
- Andrew Benintendi, LF
- Xander Bogaerts, SS
- Rafael Devers, 3B
- J.D. Martinez, DH
- Alex Verdugo, RF
- Christian Vazquez, C
- Mitch Moreland, 1B
- Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
- Michael Chavis, 2B
The Skinny: Boston brings back eight of the nine players who appeared in at least 90 games for a team that scored over 900 runs last year. Included in that group are Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers and J.D. Martinez, each of whom hit over .300 with at least 32 home runs in 2019.
But swapping in Alex Verdugo for Mookie Betts is a backward step for this lineup.
Don't get me wrong: Verdugo is a promising up-and-comer who has hit well during every prolonged step of his career thus far. But Betts was the 2018 AL MVP who finished top-eight in that vote in each of the past four seasons. Even if Boston fans could accept the need/desire to trade him away, anything short of acquiring Mike Trout was going to feel like a letdown. For Verdugo's sake, let's hope he doesn't become the Larry Anderson to Betts' Jeff Bagwell on the list of most absurdly lopsided trades in MLB history.
5. Minnesota Twins
- Max Kepler, RF
- Jorge Polanco, SS
- Nelson Cruz, DH
- Josh Donaldson, 3B
- Eddie Rosario, LF
- Miguel Sano, 1B
- Mitch Garver, C
- Luis Arraez, 2B
- Byron Buxton, CF
The Skinny: Minnesota already had a dynamite lineup. Max Kepler, Nelson Cruz, Eddie Rosario, Miguel Sano and Mitch Garver each hit more than 30 home runs last season for the Twins. Jorge Polanco clubbed 22. Luis Arraez doesn't have much power, but he did hit .334 as a rookie. Even projected No. 9 hitter Byron Buxton slugged .513 last year thanks to 30 doubles.
It's no fluke that they finished just four runs behind the Yankees for most in the majors last year. But just to be on the safe side, Minnesota also snagged Josh Donaldson on a four-year, $92 million deal after the 2015 AL MVP hit 37 home runs for the Braves in 2019. Nelson Cruz might decline considering he turned 40 this month, but the Twins are loaded.
4. Chicago White Sox
- Tim Anderson, SS
- Yoan Moncada, 3B
- Jose Abreu, 1B
- Eloy Jimenez, LF
- Yasmani Grandal, C
- Edwin Encarnacion, DH
- Nomar Mazara, RF
- Leury Garcia, 2B
- Luis Robert, CF
The Skinny: In Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada, Jose Abreu and Eloy Jimenez, the White Sox had a mighty fine core group last year. Abreu and Jimenez each hit more than 30 home runs. Moncada batted .315 with 25 dingers. Anderson led the majors with a .335 average and had 18 home runs of his own.
It was the rest of the lineup that kept the White Sox from competing, so they wisely hit an expensive reset button, signing Yasmani Grandal and Edwin Encarnacion and trading for Nomar Mazara. That's a combined 81 home runs from last season, plus they're calling up super prospect Luis Robert, who had 32 home runs and 36 stolen bases across all levels of the minor leagues last year. After seven straight years finishing below .500, the ChiSox might be prepping to bash their way to the postseason.
Nos. 3-1
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3. Houston Astros
- George Springer, CF
- Alex Bregman, 3B
- Jose Altuve, 2B
- Carlos Correa, SS
- Yuli Gurriel, 1B
- Michael Brantley, LF
- Josh Reddick, RF
- Aledmys Diaz, DH
- Martin Maldonado, C
The Skinny: We'll see how the Astros fare now that the world has been tipped off to their trash-can-banging ways, but the statistics suggest that this is going to be one of the best lineups in baseball for the fourth consecutive year.
It's unclear if or when Yordan Alvarez will be available (unidentified absence from camp for nearly three weeks), but not having the 23-year-old, who hit .313 with 27 home runs in 87 games last year, does keep Houston from making a great case for the No. 1 or No. 2 spot. The combination of Aledmys Diaz and Kyle Tucker should suffice in the DH spot until he returns, though, as the Astros have four other players—George Springer, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Yuli Gurriel—who hit at least .290 with more than 30 home runs last season.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
- Mookie Betts, RF
- Max Muncy, 1B
- Justin Turner, 3B
- Cody Bellinger, CF
- Corey Seager, SS
- Joc Pederson, LF
- A.J. Pollock, DH
- Will Smith, C
- Chris Taylor, 2B
The Skinny: In Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger and Joc Pederson, the Dodgers have perhaps the most ridiculously stacked outfield since the 2002 Atlanta Braves (Andruw Jones, Chipper Jones and Gary Sheffield). Pederson hit 36 home runs last season, and he's undeniably the weak point in that trifecta. Betts was the 2018 AL MVP; Bellinger was the NL MVP last year.
Throw in Max Muncy, Corey Seager and the aging-but-still-a-great-hitter Justin Turner, and the top two-thirds of the Dodgers' lineup is second to none.
But question marks in the bottom third—particularly at second base—opened the door for the Yankees to edge out the Dodgers. This is hands-down the best lineup in the National League, though. There's not even a close runner-up to L.A. in that conversation.
1. New York Yankees
- DJ LeMahieu, 2B
- Aaron Judge, RF
- Gleyber Torres, SS
- Giancarlo Stanton, DH
- Gary Sanchez, C
- Brett Gardner, LF
- Luke Voit, 1B
- Aaron Hicks, CF
- Gio Urshela, 3B
The Skinny: Had the season started in late March, Aaron Judge (stress fracture in rib) and Giancarlo Stanton (calf strain) likely would have been unavailable. Had it started a week ago, the Yankees wouldn't have had DJ LeMahieu (coronavirus). But for at least the time being, they're healthy and they're spectacular.
Stanton (multiple injuries) and Aaron Hicks (12 HR in 59 games) are the only projected starters who didn't hit at least 21 home runs last year. Hicks hit 27 in 2018, and let's just say no one has ever been concerned about Stanton's ability to mash a ball. Aside from the teamwide inability to stay healthy last year, it's hard to find anything resembling a weakness in this lineup.
