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The 2024 MLB season is on the horizon, and with it comes a wave of excitement as teams gear up to show their offensive firepower. From big bats to speed threats, the league is stacked with talent. As anticipation rises, we’re diving into the heart of the action, analyzing and ranking all 30 lineups heading into the year.
30. Oakland Athletics
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Oakland will once again be the worst team in baseball in 2024. Last year, the Athletics scored 585 runs and lost 112 games. Outfielder Brent Rooker slugged 30 home runs and catcher Shea Langeliers put together a solid season, but the lineup was very weak otherwise. The team doesn’t have much to look forward to this year — although we are excited to see Zack Gelof in his first full season. As a rookie last year, Oakland’s second baseman hit .267 with 14 HR in 69 games.
29. Washington Nationals
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Washington is a team on the rise, but its lineup can still use some additions. Lane Thomas posted the best year of his career in 2023 — 28 home runs and 86 RBI — and a pair of young cornerstones made an impact. Catcher Keibert Ruiz and shortstop CJ Abrams, acquired in the Juan Soto trade, flashed their potential and demonstrated why the franchise has confidence in them moving forward. James Wood, another prize from the Soto haul, has been sensational in Spring Training and looks like a future superstar. The Nats are likely a year or two away from contending for a playoff spot, and their lineup should only move up as their youngsters improve throughout the season.
28. Colorado Rockies
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Can Kris Bryant come close to his past form? The former MVP has struggled since joining Colorado. When he’s been on the field, his power has been non-existent. Additionally, he has only played in 122 games in two years with the franchise. A return to stardom from Bryant would do wonders for Colorado’s lineup. Ryan McMahon, Nolan Jones and Ezequiel Tovar are all solid players. Catcher Elías Díaz was a surprise All-Star in 2023 — he won the All-Star Game MVP — but it is hard to rely on a 33-year-old catcher.
27. Cleveland Guardians
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The only reason the Guardians are not ranked lower is out of respect for José Ramirez. The third baseman remains one of the best players in baseball, but he does not have much help around him. Josh Naylor put together a very strong season in ’23 — leading Cleveland in home runs (17), BA (.308) and OPS (.842). Cleveland is hoping for a bounce back season from Andrés Giménez. In 2022, Giménez hit .297 with 17 HR and earned an All-Star nod to go along with a sixth-place finish for the AL MVP. While his defense remained strong in ’23 — earning his second Gold Glove — Giménez saw his average drop over 40 points and posted an OPS of .712, down from .837.
26. Chicago White Sox
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The White Sox were viewed as a contender in the American League just two years ago. Now, Chicago figures to be one of the worst teams in the league. Luis Robert Jr. is a stud and Eloy Jiménez is an above-average player, as well. Yoán Moncada and Andrew Vaughn are too inconsistent. The Sox finished last year with 641 runs — the second-worst mark in baseball — and hit .238 as a team. For their talent, those results were very underwhelming.
25. Detroit Tigers
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Javy Báez remains a massive disappointment for the Tigers, but at least Spencer Torkelson took a big step forward in 2023. The former No. 1 overall pick struggled immensely upon his debut in ’22. Over 110 games, Torkelson hit .203 with a poor .604 OPS. Additionally, his prodigious power didn’t show up — he hit just eight homers. Last year, however, Torkelson figured it out at the plate. In addition to raising his average, OBP and SLG, the slugger launched 31 HR. We are excited about Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter’s futures in the outfield, and the addition of Matt Canha should add some additional punch to the lineup.
24. Kansas City Royals
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Like the Nationals, we expect the Royals to move up this list as the season progresses. Only 23 years old, Bobby Witt Jr. is one of the best shortstops in baseball. Last year, the star hit 30 homers, stole 49 bases and improved across the board in his second season. Kansas City has a handful of promising players in its lineup in addition to Witt — namely MJ Melendez, Vinnie Pasquantino, Nelson Velazquez and Nick Pratto. Veteran Salvador Pérez remains a mainstay in the heart of the lineup, but he is certainly nearing the end of his career.
23. Miami Marlins
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The Marlins were a pleasant surprise in 2023. Led by Luis Arráez, the NL batting champion, Miami reached the playoffs. This year, however, the lineup is missing a big piece. With Jorge Soler now in San Francisco, Miami must find a way to replace his 36 homers in the middle of the lineup. An improved Jazz Chisholm Jr. would help strengthen the lineup, and the addition of Tim Anderson has us intrigued. If Anderson can return to his All-Star form at the plate, Miami could have quite the combo with Arráez and Chisholm. A full season of Josh Bell should provide a boost, as well.
22. Los Angeles Angels
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Shohei Ohtani’s decision to leave Orange County to join the Los Angeles Dodgers has left the Angels with a hole in their lineup. The lineup still contains a three-time MVP (Mike Trout), but Trout’s health has been a struggle in recent years. Anthony Rendon is a complete mystery at this point. We don’t know what he will look like if he is able to stay on the diamond. Taylor Ward is a solid player, and former top prospect Mickey Moniak was very impressive in limited time last season. In 85 games, Moniak hit .280 with 14 homers.
21. Pittsburgh Pirates
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Does anyone else envision Pittsburgh being surprisingly competitive in 2024? After a hot start to the 2023 season, Pittsburgh dropped off and finished 10 games below .500. Bryan Reynolds is a very good player and one that is often overlooked due to Pittsburgh’s struggles. Outfielder Jack Suwinski provided some pop last year — led the team with 26 HR — and the franchise has a trio of young players who we are very high on — Ke’Bryan Hayes, Oneil Cruz (limited to nine games in ’23) and former No. 1 pick Henry Davis. If all three players can take a step forward this year, Pittsburgh may take the NL Central by storm.
20. New York Mets
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2023 was a complete disaster for the Mets. After entering the season with World Series aspirations, New York was a seller at the trade deadline and finished under .500. The Mets feature a pair of stars — Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso — a few solid veterans (Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, and Starling Marte) and one of the best young catchers in baseball (Francisco Álvarez). Alonso may not be long for New York, and both he and Álvarez need to improve their averages. New York’s offense was far too inconsistent in ’23, let’s see what it can do this year.
19. Milwaukee Brewers
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The man sporting the cheese head in the photo you see may not be the MVP caliber player he once was, but he is still an above-average player in the league. Yelich is accompanied in the lineup by Willy Adames at shortstop — 24 HR and 80 RBI in 2023 — William Contreras (17 HR, .291 BA) and Rhys Hoskins, formerly with the Philadelphia Phillies. Those four players will generate most of the attention, but Milwaukee also has three young players worth watching. Sal Frelick and Garrett Mitchell are both talented outfielders — but the best of the trio may be rookie Jackson Chourio. Despite never playing in the Majors, Chourio signed an $82 million contract in the offseason.
18. St. Louis Cardinals
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Coming off a down year, the Cardinals have a lot to prove in 2024 — including star players Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. After winning the NL MVP in ’22, Goldschmidt endured arguably his worst season since 2012. Arenado was better as the season progressed, but he too had his worst season in nearly a decade. Nolan Gorman hit a team-high 27 homers and the team received solid contributions from a handful of other players, but the team goes as its two stars go. If Arenado and Goldschmidt replicate last year’s performances, the Cards may find themselves outside of the playoffs once again.
17. Boston Red Sox
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Boston may have finished at the bottom of the American League East in 2023, but it didn’t have a tough time scoring runs. The Red Sox scored 772 runs — the sixth-most in the AL — and their .258 team BA was sixth in baseball. Rafael Devers is an established star, Masataka Yoshida is a professional hitter (.289 BA with 15 HR in his debut season) and Triston Casas (24 HR) is a budding star. Justin Turner and Alex Verdugo are no longer with the club, but the addition of Tyler O’Neill should help replace some of their production. Additionally, Boston hopes former star Trevor Story will be an everyday player now that he is finally healthy.
16. San Francisco Giants
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The Giants have long been known as a team that relies on pitching to win, but their biggest additions this offseason were to bolster the lineup. First, San Francisco inked Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee to a lucrative deal. Recently, the Giants added slugger Jorge Soler and All-Star third baseman Matt Chapman. Adding those three players to a lineup that already contained LaMonte Wade Jr., Michael Conforto, and Wilmer Flores was a solid decision by the front office.
15. San Diego Padres
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The star power isn’t lacking in San Diego even with Juan Soto gone. Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Xander Bogaerts remain All-Star talents who will lead this group. Tatis Jr. will be looking to bounce back after a rather pedestrian 2023. Though, we can attribute some of his struggles to taking a season off the year before. Machado’s trajectory is also a bit concerning. After a dominant ’22, Machado was mired by injuries last year and posted one of the worst seasons of his career.
14. Seattle Mariners
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Adding Jorge Polanco to this group provides a significant boost. The Mariners were rather thin at second base before the trade, and the switch-hitting Polanco has a chance to hit in the middle of a righty-heavy lineup. Julio Rodríguez is the star of the show. He’s a 40/40 threat and one of the most exciting players in the league. Rodriguez won’t need to boost his numbers much to join that exclusive group after a 32 HR/37 SB campaign. Infielder Ty France had a rough campaign just a year after making the All-Star team. Reports out of Seattle indicate France has made significant changes to his swing which should allow him to return to his 2022 form.
13. Minnesota Twins
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On paper, the Twins’ lineup is an impressive bunch that features plenty of pop. However, health is a major issue with this group. Especially when looking at their top contributors. Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa have as checkered of an injury history as any position players in the league. 24-year-old Royce Lewis has already had two ACL surgeries in his short career. Even a player like Carlos Santana poses a risk due to his age (will be 38 by the start of the season). We aren’t doubting this team’s ability to produce, if healthy. But, we need to see this group stay on the field before bumping them up a few spots.
12. Arizona Diamondbacks
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The defending National League champions are back with a couple of big-time power reinforcements. The additions of Joc Pederson and Eugenio Suárez cannot be overlooked. Both will have a chance to earn major playing time and are capable of posting monster stats in the power categories. Their swing-and-miss tendency will be a bit more masked in a lineup that features some of the game’s premier contact hitters including Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll. Over the last two seasons, Arizona first baseman Christian Walker has 69 HR — eighth-most during that span.
11. Toronto Blue Jays
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Back-to-back early postseason exits for the Blue Jays who had a bit of a disappointing year in 2023. Toronto’s win total decreased by three from the previous season, and they tumbled down from 4th in runs scored to 14th. The biggest change entering 2024 will be Justin Turner replacing Matt Chapman. Turner doesn’t possess the same raw power as the former Blue Jay third baseman, but he’s far more consistent. The 38-year-old didn’t show many signs of regression with the Red Sox last year. Still, this group will come down to its stars. The Blue Jays need Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, and George Springer to have bounce-back campaigns.
10. Cincinnati Reds
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This is a lineup brimming with young talent. And, it’s a young group that already found success last year. The Reds finished 9th in runs scored last year (a sizable leap from their 23rd-place finish the season prior). And, they didn’t even have a lot of their best player for most of the season. Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand are an exciting, young trio — neither of whom played even 100 games last season. And, it’s not just their bats you have to worry about. The Reds finished first in steals last season with 190 swipes. A full year with this group is an exciting proposition.
9. Tampa Bay Rays
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A Rays lineup headlined by All-Stars Randy Arozarena and Yandy Díaz is sure to rake once again in 2024. There will be day-to-day changes in this group. Tampa Bay has always been a team that prefers to utilize platoon bats. We could even see Brandon Lowe cede some at-bats after posting a dismal season versus LHP. Outfielder Josh Lowe will look to build off a stellar second half (.311 BA, 8 HR, and 13 SB in 53 starts). Watch out for top-prospect Junior Caminero to make a splash at some point this season. The 20-year-old has thunder in his bat.
8. Chicago Cubs
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Cody Bellinger’s return is huge for this lineup. The former MVP wasn’t slugging at the same rate as his 47-HR campaign from ’19, but his contact skills improved vastly in Year 1 with the Cubs. No matter, Chicago had six batters reach 20-plus HR last season. That includes Christopher Morel, who mashed 26 bombs in just 107 games in ’24. There aren’t any major changes with this group, but none were needed. The only NL teams that scored more runs than the Cubs last season were the 104-win Braves and the 100-win Dodgers.
7. Baltimore Orioles
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Good luck finding many easy outs in this lineup. The Orioles are absolutely stacked with hitters that bring power, bat-skill, and youth. Catcher Adley Rutschman creates one of the best advantages any team possesses in the league. Having a catcher who can consistently get on-base (.369 OBP in 267 games) while hitting 20-plus HR is not a luxury most teams have. AL Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson will likely be joined in the infield by No. 1 prospect Jackson Holliday.
6. Philadelphia Phillies
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There’s no shortage of boppers in Philadelphia’s lineup. Perhaps no player better exemplifies this than leadoff hitter Kyle Schwarber. Schwarber had more home runs (47) than singles (42) last season. He’ll be followed on most days by two-time All-Star Trea Turner and two-time MVP Bryce Harper. It doesn’t get much easier for pitchers after that. J.T. Realmuto is one of the most athletic catchers in the game (20 HR/16 SB in ’23) and Nick Castellanos can get red-hot from the plate. Youngsters Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm are each coming off strong seasons.
5. Houston Astros
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From top-to-bottom, the Astros have one of the better configurations in the league. José Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, and Kyle Tucker create a balanced top-4 with power to all sides of the field. Bounce-back seasons from José Abreu and Jeremy Peña will make it even more difficult on opposing pitchers. One name that some might not be familiar with is catcher Yainer Diaz. Diaz played in 104 games last season and hit 23 HR with a .846 OPS.
4. New York Yankees
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Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. That’s all that really has to be mentioned. The Yankees boast arguably the two best hitters in baseball. Among all active players, Judge and Soto rank second and third in career OPS (first is Mike Trout who is entering Year 14 and coming off his worst season). Since 2021, Judge ranks first with a 1.009 OPS (second is 41 points behind) and Soto ranks first with 561 drawn walks (second is 174 behind). The rest of the lineup isn’t very trustworthy, but we wouldn’t be all that surprised to see bounce-backs from Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton.
3. Texas Rangers
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The defending champions return a lineup that dominated throughout the postseason. Two-time World Series MVP Corey Seager is among the most dangerous hitters in the game. He forms the league’s most potent middle infield attack alongside Marcus Semien. The team leader in HR last season, Adolis García, is dealing with the same injury that sidelined him for the final two games of the World Series but shouldn’t be out for long. The same goes for Josh Jung who suffered a calf injury early in Spring. Though, a couple of minor injuries aren’t the worst thing for this team. It’s an absolute stacked group. When everybody’s healthy, manager Bruce Bochy may find it difficult to give all of his worthy players an ample amount of at-bats.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
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That top-3 will send shivers down the spine of any pitcher facing the Dodgers. Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Shohei Ohtani are three perennial MVP candidates in the same lineup. There’s not a lot you can do if you’re an opposing hurler. Even after you get through the top of the order, the Dodgers have thumpers like Will Smith, Max Muncy, Teoscar Hernández, and the resurgent Jason Heyward waiting to take some hacks. Rounding out the lineup on most days are two lefties with power and speed — James Outman and Gavin Lux. There will be no good answers to attacking this star-studded group.
1. Atlanta Braves
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Taking the top spot are the Atlanta Braves who return basically the same group that shattered records last season. The 2023 Braves broke the record for most HR in a single season with 307. They had five players with at least 33 HR. Their ninth-best hitter, Orlando Arcia (17 HR), would have been a top-three masher on a handful of teams. Seven of their everyday players had an OPS above .800. The Dodgers made their best effort to catch the league’s best offense, but we have to give the nod to the Braves…for now.
