The Best of the Best: Ranking All 30 MLB Teams’ Opening Day Lineups – Braves and Dodgers Dominate, Yankees on the Rise.
Every season, major league lineups appear to get deeper and better. Take a look at the New York Yankees, who added Juan Soto to their lineup to create a potent combination with Aaron Judge. Or the Los Angeles Dodgers, who added superstars Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman to their roster by signing free-agent sensations Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández. Also, don’t undervalue the Texas Rangers, the defending world champions, who should benefit from a full season of at-bats from promising rookie outfielders Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter.
Major League lineups are often faster, stronger, and more athletic than anything seen in the sport during the 1970s. As an exciting new season begins, here is my ranking of all 30 teams’ Opening Day lineups.
With the exception of left field, where they should platoon Jarred Kelenic and Adam Duvall, the Braves are running back the whole lineup after leading MLB in OPS, runs, and home runs the previous season. Ronald Acuña Jr., who launched the 40-70 Club and finished with 41 home runs and 73 stolen bases, was named the National League MVP. Five Braves players hit at least thirty home runs: Ozzie Albies (33), Marcell Ozuna (40), Austin Riley (37), Matt Olson (54), and Acuña.
The Dodgers added two-time league MVP Shohei Ohtani and two-time Silver Slugger winner Teoscar Hernández to their already formidable offense, which finished second in the majors last season. Out of the nine players who started on Opening Day, seven had at least 20 home runs in the previous season.
The American League Rookie of the Year front-runners Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter will join the world-champion Rangers, who were third in the majors in runs scored the previous season. (Carter finished the regular season last year with 75 plate appearances.) Leading the way is Corey Seager, the three-time Silver Slugger winner and two-time MVP of the World Series.
This offseason, the Astros were able to extend the career of their franchise’s star player, Jose Altuve, and reunite with Kyle Tucker, Yordan Alvarez, and Alex Bregman as their solid core. With Yainer Diaz taking over as the starting catcher, their lineup should have even more offensive power in the second half.
The Phillies boast a well-rounded lineup that includes players who are starting to enter their prime, such as Bryson Stott, Alec Bohm, and Brandon Marsh, as well as established veterans and leaders like Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto, and Kyle Schwarber. They have a strong, reliable, and lethal lineup thanks to that combination.
The Orioles have a strong nucleus of young hitters led by Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Colton Cowser and Jackson Holliday, along with Coby Mayo and Samuel Basallo who are in the minors but en route. They also have proven veterans like Anthony Santander, Cedric Mullins and Ryan Mountcastle. It’s a lineup that won 101 games last year and I expect it to do the same this year.
Juan Soto will benefit from hitting in front of Aaron Judge and from the small confines of right field at Yankee Stadium. I think he could have an MVP season. The additions of Soto and Alex Verdugo should boost the Yankees’ on-base percentage, which last year ranked 27th in the majors. Anthony Volpe should be able to build on his 21-home run, 24-stolen base rookie season. But the key to this offense will be the aging veterans Anthony Rizzo, Giancarlo Stanton and DJ LeMahieu — how much do they have left in the tank?
The defending National League champions have a lineup filled with contact and speed that finished second in the majors in stolen bases (166) last year while recording the fourth-fewest strikeouts. The Diamondbacks’ biggest offensive weakness was power as they finished 22nd in home runs. However, they improved in that area this offseason with the acquisitions of third baseman Eugenio Suárez and DH Joc Pederson.
The Rays were fourth in the majors last year in OBP, slugging and runs scored. And they basically return the same lineup apart from Wander Franco, who is on trial for physical and sexual abuse and commercial sexual exploitation of a minor. Jonathan Aranda, Harold Ramírez and Josh Lowe appear ready to break out this season.
With seven of their nine anticipated starters between the ages of 22 and 27, the Reds boast one of the strongest youthful lineups in MLB, with many players poised for breakout seasons. Their most technically sound player is Matt McLain, who might miss Opening Day, but Elly De La Cruz has the largest ceiling. Spencer Steer has a valuable versatility and finished the previous season with the 20th-best OPS (.820) in the NL. For many years to come, Christian Encarnacion-Strand may be a middle-of-the-order impact bat.
After trading Juan Soto in the offseason, the Padres are counting on improved seasons from Manny Machado and Jake Cronenworth. Rookie Jackson Merrill made the team out of spring training as the starting center fielder and they’ll need him to deliver. Their best player, Fernando Tatis Jr., will need to take his game to an MVP level for the Padres to improve from 13th in runs scored last year to 10th this year.
The Twins have an interesting lineup that has a high ceiling but also a low floor. They need three of their best hitters — Royce Lewis, Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton — to stay healthy and play full seasons. They also need their young hitters led by Edouard Julien (who has special plate discipline), Matt Wallner (great power) and Alex Kirilloff (also needs to stay healthy) to live up to their enormous potential.
Cody Bellinger, the Cubs’ top offensive player, is back, and right fielder Seiya Suzuki is ready for his finest season to date. Nico Hoerner led the club in steals last season with forty-three, while Ian Happ and Christopher Morel provide strength and quickness. However, what kind of power will the Cubs get from the catcher and infield corners?
The Brewers offense is loaded with speed including outfielders Garrett Mitchell and Jackson Chourio and it added much-needed power in the offseason with the signing of first baseman Rhys Hoskins. William Contreras has quickly become a top five offensive catcher in the sport. Willy Adames should bounce back from a subpar season and have a better year at the plate.
Pete Alonso should be good for another 40 home runs while Francisco Lindor will try to repeat his 31 homers and 31 stolen bases from last season. Francisco Alvarez looks set for a breakout season behind the plate. Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil should post high on-base percentages once again. The biggest question: How much offense will the Mets get from right field, center field, third base and DH?
The Mariners spent the offseason reducing strikeouts and improving contact rate but as a result lost some power when they traded Eugenio Suárez to the Diamondbacks and let Teoscar Hernández leave in free agency. Julio Rodríguez should be an MVP candidate and their offense should be more consistent, but we’ll see if it means more runs scored after ranking 12th in MLB last year.
The Cardinals are hoping for bounce-back years from Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado and breakout seasons from second baseman Nolan Gorman, outfielder Jordan Walker and outfielder Lars Nootbaar. Rookie center fielder Victor Scott II might not make the team out of spring training, but it won’t be long before he’s helping the Cardinals offense.
The Blue Jays’ lineup is built around their young superstars, Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who are playing for long-term contracts. George Springer appears to be starting to decline with age (34) but Toronto did a good job in signing DH Justin Turner to replace the production of Matt Chapman, who signed with San Francisco. The Blue Jays finished middle of the pack in runs scored last year and didn’t get better this offseason.
The Giants were active this offseason and upgraded their lineup by signing center fielder Jung Hoo Lee, designated hitter Jorge Soler and third baseman Matt Chapman. Lee will improve their on-base percentage while Soler and Chapman will boost their right-handed power. The Giants have an average major-league player at every position except shortstop in their lineup.
The Red Sox are led by superstar third baseman Rafael Devers, who topped the team with 33 homers last year. First baseman Triston Casas was the only other Red Sox to hit more than 20 homers as he finished with 24 and should be able to get to 30 this year. Trevor Story is healthy and hoping to hit at least 20 homers with 20 steals. Ex-Cardinal Tyler O’Neill has power, but can he stay healthy? Jarren Duran supplies the stolen bases (24 in 26 attempts last season).
The Tigers offense is built around right fielder Riley Greene, first baseman Spencer Torkelson and rookie second baseman Colt Keith. Greene can hit the best pitchers’ best pitches, Torkelson is good for 30 home runs and Keith has a chance to develop into one of the best offensive second baseman in the league. The bottom third of this lineup needs improvement though.
The Pirates are slowly but surely building their lineup and have a strong core led by shortstop Oneil Cruz, third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, left fielder Bryan Reynolds, catcher Henry Davis and right fielder Jack Suwinski. The club has surrounded them with veterans such as Andrew McCutchen, Rowdy Tellez and Michael A. Taylor. Cruz needs to reduce his holes at the plate, Hayes needs to learn to lift the ball and Suwinski needs to be more consistent offensively.
Life after Shohei Ohtani begins. Mike Trout is still one of the best hitters in baseball if he can stay healthy and the young trio of first baseman Nolan Schanuel, shortstop Zach Neto and catcher Logan O’Hoppe give the Angels something to build around.
The Royals’ lineup is built around face of the franchise Bobby Witt Jr., who hit 30 homers and stole 49 bases last year and was rewarded with a landmark extension. But only two other players in their lineup hit 20 or more homers in 2023: Hunter Renfroe and Salvador Perez. The Royals will need left fielder MJ Melendez and first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino to have breakout seasons for this offense to improve significantly.
It all starts with José Ramírez, one of the best overall third baseman in the game. Last year he hit 24 home runs and stole 28 bases. However, he was the only player in the Guardians’ lineup with 20 or more home runs. First baseman/DH Josh Naylor hit .308 with 17 homers but has way more power in his bat. Kyle Manzardo, whom they acquired from Tampa Bay in the Aaron Civale trade, won’t make the team out of spring training but should provide some power in the majors this year. Andrés Giménez should have a bounce-back year at the plate but this offense needs a lot more for the Guardians to make the playoffs.
The White Sox offense is led by center fielder Luis Robert Jr., who hit 38 home runs last year with 20 stolen bases. They’re hoping that DH Eloy Jiménez can stay healthy and play a full season and that Andrew Vaughn will have a breakout campaign. Their defense up the middle is much better than last year but they sacrificed offense for that improvement.
For Jazz Chisholm Jr. to play to his full ability and stay healthy for the entire season, the Marlins need him to. They’re hoping for a combined 50 home runs from their infield corners, who include Josh Bell and Jake Burger. Luis Arraez is the favorite to win the NL pennant this year, having already won batting crowns in both leagues. The outfield corners and the designated hitter are this offense’s two largest areas of uncertainty. The Marlins’ run total from the previous season was 26th, thanks in large part to the 36 home runs that Jorge Soler hit before leaving in free agency.
Young major league talent like CJ Abrams, Keibert Ruiz, and Lane Thomas are members of the Nationals. However, with players like James Wood, Dylan Crews, Brady House, and Robert Hassell III calling the club home, the future seems bright. Crews should get promoted by June or July, and Wood by May. The Nationals may come into the season ranked 28th on our list, but if their prospects start showing up and making an impact, they might finish considerably higher.
Many of the Rockies’ prospects, such as infielder Adael Amador, catcher Drew Romo, and outfielders Sterlin Thompson, Yanquiel Fernandez, Jordan Beck, and Zac Veen, are getting closer to making it to the main leagues. The Rockies could climb quickly up these rankings when they’re all here (much like the Nationals could). Meanwhile, shortstop Ezequiel Tovar is prepared to build on his 15 home runs and 11 thefts from his rookie season, while Nolan Jones is eager to build on his 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Nevertheless, just two Rockies players hit more than 15 home runs in the previous season, despite the Coors Field influence.
Zack Gelof, the second baseman for the A’s, swiped 14 bases and hit 14 home runs with an OPS of.841 in 270 at-bats last season. He also hit 44 bombs in total with veterans Brent Rooker and Seth Brown. With 67 stolen bases in 2023, Esteury Ruiz led the league in speed. Nevertheless, not a single member in the A’s lineup had a batting average above.267 or an OBP greater than.337 from the previous campaign.
