New York Yankees
You’ve got a chance to be pretty darn good whenever Aaron Judge is in your lineup. The power hitter from the Bay Area ended up spurning his hometown Giants in favor of re-signing with the Yankees — and will once again be joined by slugger Giancarlo Stanton. In the process, New York also made it a point of emphasis to bring back fan favorite first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Losing Andrew Benintendi and Matt Carpenter may end up hurting the team down the line. We’ll see how Josh Donaldson performs as he enters his late 30s. However, there’s still plenty of optimism. Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza will add some much-needed juice to this older group. Plus, Anthony Volpe is banging on the door ready to make his presence known sooner than later.
St. Louis Cardinals
In true St. Louis fashion, the Cardinals have put together a team chock-full of very good homegrown talent. The Lars Nootbar-Juan Yepez-Dylan Carlson trio is highly appealing, with plenty of potential upside ready to be uncovered. Swiping Willson Contreras from the Cubs was a shrewd move, as he’ll take over for club legend Yadier Molina. Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado are as deadly a one-two punch as you’ll find in the Central Division. Plus, Tyler O’Neill and Brendan Donovan can absolutely rake when given the chance. Top to bottom, this is a very attractive lineup.
New York Mets
This lineup remains unchanged from a year ago. Bringing Nimmo and McNeil back were among the more important things on the agenda for the Mets this offseason. With Carlos Correa not coming to Queens, you may end up seeing the Mets pivot to two of their most prized prospects in Brett Baty and Francisco Alvarez. We saw glimpses of these two in the past, and there’s a scenario in which they bull their way into the starting lineup. At the very least, this team possesses a projected group with guys who can patiently work the count and hit to all parts of the park. In essence, a traditional team not reliant so much on the long ball (outside of Pete Alonso).
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers will be in a bit of a rebuild (if we can call it that). The team wanted to get younger and less expensive — which led to the departures of Trea Turner, Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, and others. The lineup to start the season may look different than what we’ll see down the stretch. The farm is bursting with prospects, and many consider it to be the best collection of Minor League players in all of baseball. As currently constituted, the Dodgers still can trot out an elite top-three of Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith.
You’d have to think Max Muncy and Chris Taylor will bounce back from subpar years. J.D. Martinez was brought in as the DH to add some power, and Gavin Lux was quietly very decent last year. The outfield outside of Betts remains a question. We’ll see if Trayce Thompson is the longterm answer in LF. The same goes for James Outman — a very ‘toolsy’ player who somewhat resembles the aforementioned Bellinger.
Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia will have to tread water for roughly half the season until Bryce Harper comes back from injury. Fortunately for the Fightin’ Phils, the addition of Trea Turner gives them one of the most talented hitters in the game. Aside from being an excellent contact hitter, his speed should allow for plenty of triple opportunities. While the top of the order is stabilized, the bottom half has a number of players with some considerable upsides (though low floors, as well).
Among them, you’ve got Darick Hall, Bryson Scott, Alex Bohm, and Brandon Marsh. If two of these guys prove to be above-average players at their positions, Philadelphia will be among the better teams in the National League. It’ll be imperative for them to make contact/use their collective athleticism within the lineup. As such, the team is prone to striking out a fair amount. We must also note that Bryce Harper will be out until mid-season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.
Seattle Mariners
We did see some turnover with this group. Teoscar Hernandez is slated to be a huge middle-of-the-order addition for the Mariners. A.J. Pollock is looking to bounce back from a rough 2022 season (after a very solid stint previously with the Dodgers). J.P. Crawford and Jarred Kelenic are two young players bursting with upside and potential. Cal Raleigh is rock-solid behind the dish, Kolten Wong is a competitive veteran with an edge to him, and Eugenio Suarez is quite gifted. However, the future of this team will be determined by Ty France and budding superstar Julio Rodriguez. If the M’s can limit strikeouts, they’ll be a dangerous threat to Houston in the AL West.
Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto adjusted its lineup a bit this year — adding more flexibility as it pertains to attacking teams with more left-handed options. Among them include up-and-coming athletic outfielder Daulton Varsho, and veteran Brandon Belt. Whit Merrifield was added for some stability towards the end of the order, and Kevin Kiermaier is mostly there for his glove/speed in centerfield. Power continues to be a main theme within this group, especially as Bo Bichette matures as a hitter. Matt Chapman could also be in line for a monster season with the Rogers Centre being altered dimensions-wise. All this — and we’ve yet to even mention the heartbeat of the order…led by leadoff hitter George Springer and the dynamic duo of Alejandro Kirk and Vlad Guerrero Jr.
Houston Astros
While not as prolific as some of the earlier iterations featuring the Jose Altuve-Alex Bregman core, this team is still plenty good enough to win the American League. The top four guys (Altuve, Michael Brantley, Bregman, Yordan Alvarez) are all back. Added to the mix is former MVP Jose Abreu. Having experience versus AL pitchers should make his transition a smooth one (aside from the fact Abreu now gets a short porch in left field to slug towards). Kyle Tucker should be even better this season, as should reigning rookie of the year Jeremy Pena. While the collective speed within this projected group isn’t stellar, they more than make up for it with bat-to-ball contact and home run prowess.
Atlanta Braves
Atlanta’s scouting department deserves all the credit in the world for essentially building much of this lineup from the Minor League system. You’ve got a terrific balance of power, speed, and gap-to-gap capabilities with this group. Of course, Ronald Acuna Jr. sets the table as the leadoff hitter — where he’ll be joined by star-in-the-making Michael Harris II. The right-lefty duo of Austin Riley and Matt Olson will slug super well. Sean Murphy was brought over from Oakland to man the catchers spot (and he’s an upgrade over Travis D’Arnaud). Simply put, when you’ve got a lineup slated to have Ozzie Albies as the No. 6 hitter — and Marcell Ozuna as the No. 8 hitter — depth isn’t an issue.
San Diego Padres
The depth within this lineup is truly startling. Due to the proactive front office, the last 12 months has netted a host of proven bats — including stars Juan Soto and Xander Bogaerts, along with veterans Nelson Cruz and Matt Carpenter. When Fernando Tatis Jr. eventually returns from suspension, you’re looking at a group who can go 1-4 with Tatis, Soto, Manny Machado, and Bogaerts. No other team in baseball comes close to fielding such a prolific quartet. You could quibble over the ages of Cruz and Carpenter — along with the rough last year for Trent Grisham. Regardless, this is a STACKED group of hitters. Anything short of a playoff appearance would be a MASSIVE disappointment (remember, the Pads still have to prove they can usurp the division crown from the rival Los Angeles Dodgers).
